The fuel crisis that gripped the city through the week showed signs of easing on Friday, with panic-driven queues thinning at most petrol pumps. However, a few outlets in Wadi, Ganeshpeth and Ramdaspeth remained shut due to stock depletion and supply delays.
Pump operators reported a noticeable decline in panic buying over the past few days. A petrol pump operator in Wadi said the rush had largely subsided. “Consumers are now purchasing fuel as per regular needs,” the operator said, adding that the after-effects of the surge continued to affect some outlets, leading to temporary closures.
A senior district administration official said the situation had improved considerably and added, “there is no need for panic buying. Supplies are stabilising and most petrol pumps are functioning normally”.
The official attributed the continued closure of some pumps to two reasons. “In some cases, stocks were depleted due to excessive demand, and replenishment is already on the way. In other instances, delays may be linked to recent credit-related changes by oil companies, due to which fresh stock is yet to be received,” the official said.
Authorities maintained that affected pumps are expected to resume operations within a day or two.
On the domestic LPG front, dealers said the situation remained under strain despite steady supply, with delivery wait times at around eight days. Bablu Tiwari, state president of the LPG Dealers Association of India, pointed to a technical bottleneck as the main issue. “The situation continues to be the same, with the wait time now around eight days. Supply is steady, which is why we can keep deliveries going, but our major problem is the technical downtime of oil company servers. We are struggling to complete dealer authentication code (DAC) input in the system, without which the next delivery stock does not get released,” Tiwari said.
The pressure on dealer staff has also been significant. Tiwari added that employees have been working extended hours, often staying until 9 pm or later, resulting in 12-hour shifts daily. With petrol supplies improving, officials and dealers expressed confidence that complete normalcy will return soon.
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