Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, June 16: People hurried to the fuel stations across the Valley to fill their tanks after rumours spread that the country was running out of fuel, resulting in long queues of vehicles and rush at the stations.
People flocked to the fuel stations after hearing on social media that the country was experiencing a fuel crisis. Hundreds of vehicles were observed lining up at almost every fuel station in the Valley, especially in Srinagar.
Long lines of vehicles caused traffic congestion in several areas, prompting the Traffic Police department to delegate their officers to control vehicular movement.
Majority of the petrol pumps in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley remained closed today as they were without petrol and diesel. “I am not sure if this is a rumour or true, but I have been to many petrol stations in the city and they have all run out of fuel. My bike’s fuel tank will only last for a day. I work as a medical representative and am unable to complete my duties without a bike. So, I am here to fill up my tank so that I do not have to deal with any work interruptions,” a motorcyclist said.
The alarm was heightened when people discovered that some fuel stations had been closed. People panicked even more after seeing several stations closed, and began swarming to other stations to fill their tanks. Soon after, videos of vehicles lining up at gas stations, as well as a large crowd gathering outside the stations, went viral on social media, further infuriating the public. “There is a misunderstanding among the public. Fuel is readily available, and there is plenty of it,” a filling station attendant told Excelsior.
In the midst of panic, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, P K Pole, said that there is no shortage of fuel in Kashmir. He cautioned the public not to believe in rumours of a fuel shortage.
“People can buy petrol from Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPLC) retail outlets,” he said. He assured people that the Hindustan Oil Corporation Limited would have enough fuel and diesel supplies by this evening.
The people, however, questioned if there was no shortage of fuel, why several filling stations were closed. “The rumours that there is no petrol have been circulating since last evening, and they were confirmed this morning when the fuel was not available. The Government claims that there is no lack of fuel; but, if this is the case, why isn’t it available at the stations?” a motorist who was waiting to fill up his tank at a petrol station on Srinagar’s M A Road, asked.
The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department has asked the fuel stations not to issue Fuel in plastic bottles or cans to customers. The department has also asked the filling stations to report the sale and distribution status on daily basis
In the meantime, the State Level Coordinator, Oil Industry Jammu and Kashmir (OIJK), Anjani Kumar, today said that there is no shortage of Petroleum products across Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is to confirm that there is no shortage of Petroleum Products like Motor Spirit (MS), High Speed Diesel (HSD) in the entire Jammu & Kashmir,” a statement issued by Kumar said.
“All the three Public Sector Oil Companies Viz M/s Indian Oil Corporation Limited , M/s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and M/s Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited are having sufficient stocks at their respective depots to cater to the current routine demand of the J&K UT”.
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