The impact of the ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States is now being felt on the streets of Gujarat, as rumours of a petrol and diesel shortage have triggered panic among citizens. After concerns over cooking gas availability, speculation about fuel scarcity has spread rapidly across the state, disrupting normal life.
Despite repeated assurances from the government that sufficient fuel stock is available, long queues have once again been seen at petrol pumps across Ahmedabad and other parts of the state. In several areas, queues of vehicles stretched up to half a kilometre, prompting authorities to deploy police personnel to manage crowds and prevent arguments among motorists. The situation, which began escalating yesterday afternoon, continued late into the night and persisted into this morning, with people lining up early to refill their vehicles.
Due to panic buying, fuel consumption has surged sharply. Against the usual daily average of around 30 lakh litres of petrol and 60 lakh litres of diesel in Ahmedabad, nearly double the quantity was reportedly lifted in a single day.
The government has urged citizens not to panic, stating that adequate buffer stock of fuel is available across the state and there is no need to rush to petrol pumps. However, public confidence appears low, with many recalling the COVID-19 period when shortages of essential medicines like Remdesivir and hospital beds led to widespread distress despite official assurances.
In an official statement, IndianOil said that adequate stocks of Petrol and Diesel are available across Gujarat and supplies to retail outlets are continuing smoothly.
“There is no shortage of fuel and the inventory position of petrol pumps is being closely monitored to ensure normal availability,” it added.
It also advised the public to strictly avoid unsafe practices such as storing petrol in plastic cans, bottles, or other unapproved containers for future use, as this poses serious safety risks.