The recent petrol shortage in Hyderabad has triggered widespread panic buying, leading to long queues at petrol pumps across the city. Despite government assurances that there is no fuel shortage in Telangana, many petrol stations have run out of stock, displaying ‘no stock’ signs and resorting to rationing fuel sales for two-wheelers to just 150–200 litres.
This situation arose after rumors circulated on social media about a potential fuel shortage, prompting residents to rush to petrol stations. A local resident, A Narendra, mentioned, “I came here after seeing posts about a fuel shortage on social media.” As panic escalated, some petrol pumps reported sales of up to 13,000 litres by 6 PM on a single day, compared to the normal daily sales of 10,000-12,000 litres.
According to the Civil Supplies department, daily petrol consumption in Telangana is approximately 35 lakh litres, while diesel consumption stands at 45 lakh litres. There are around 3,600 petrol pumps across the state, with 900-1,000 located in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) region. However, the supply of fuel was disrupted over the weekend as oil companies did not deliver fuel on Saturday and Sunday due to holidays.
Stephan Reveendra, the Commissioner of the Civil Supplies Department, urged the public to refrain from panic buying, stating, “I urge the public not to engage in panic buying.” Despite these reassurances, many residents, like Sai Kumar, expressed frustration, saying, “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 negatively impact citizens during such a crisis. Temporary stock issues were notably reported in areas like Bahadurpura and Mir Alam, further exacerbating the situation.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the exact reason for the sudden surge in demand, and the timeline for when normal fuel supply will resume is also uncertain. The Civil Supplies department maintains that the fuel supply mechanism is functioning normally, but the ongoing panic buying suggests otherwise.
