Fuel Shortage: After a rumour regarding fuel shortages in Uttar Pradesh spread rapidly, residents of the state flooded fuel stations throughout the month. Even though officials stated that there was not actually a shortage of fuel, there were extreme lines at petrol stations as a response to the rumour.
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The rumour that started on social media regarding fuel shortages on March 24th quickly spread to cities throughout Uttar Pradesh, including Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar and Bahraich. Fuel stations in major urban areas such as Lucknow, Prayagraj, Deoria and Gorakhpur also became very busy within a short amount of time.
Sales of fuel shot up on March 26
The amount of petrol needed each day went from about 1.7 crore litres to 2.9 crore litres, and the amount of diesel needed each day went from 3.1 crore litres to 5.1 crore litres. In just one day, sales of petrol in Lucknow rose by more than 140%, which shows how scared people were.
The government steps in to ease worries
Officials and oil companies moved quickly to calm people’s fears that there wasn’t enough fuel. They said that stocks were enough for more than 20 days at thousands of petrol stations, and each station had enough for several days.
Sanjay Bhandari, the coordinator, and other leaders in the industry told people not to believe rumours and not to buy things they didn’t need. Officials also checked on important gas stations to help keep the supply steady and cut down on long lines.
LPG Supply Went Up with Another Move
The government has increased the amount of commercial LPG it gives out to 70% of what it was before the crisis, up from 50%. The goal of the move is to help industries like textiles and steel that need a steady supply of fuel.
