Hyderabad is grappling with a petrol shortage as panic buying leads to long queues at petrol pumps. Despite government assurances that there is no fuel shortage in Telangana, many stations are running out of stock, displaying ‘no stock’ signs.
Daily petrol consumption in Telangana is estimated at 35 lakh litres, but the situation has been exacerbated by rumors circulating on social media about a fuel shortage. This has triggered widespread panic, prompting residents to rush to petrol stations.
According to reports, several petrol pumps have started rationing fuel sales, limiting purchases to 150–200 litres for two-wheelers. On a typical day, each pump sells between 10,000 to 12,000 litres, but on panic buying days, sales can skyrocket to 13,000 litres by 6 PM.
The Civil Supplies department has stated that the fuel supply mechanism is functioning normally, and oil companies did not supply fuel over the weekend due to holidays. However, temporary stock issues have been reported in areas like Bahadurpura and Mir Alam.
With around 3,600 petrol pumps across Telangana and 900-1,000 in the GHMC region, the sudden surge in demand has left many stations struggling to keep up. “I urge the public not to engage in panic buying,” said Stephan Reveendra, IPS, Commissioner of the Civil Supplies Department.
Customers are feeling the impact. One resident, A Narendra, mentioned, “I came here after seeing posts about a fuel shortage on social media.” Another, Sai Kumar, expressed frustration, stating, “Hundreds of vehicles are here for filling. I am here from almost 25 minutes.”
Marri Amarender Reddy, president of the Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association, criticized the oil companies for imposing sudden rules that affect citizens during such times. “When the situation is not right, the oil companies should not impose sudden rules and restrictions that directly affect the common citizens,” he said.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact reason for the sudden surge in demand, and the timeline for when normal fuel supply will resume is uncertain.
