Fuel shortage fears grip Hyderabad; panic buying chokes petrol pumps

Panic buying, not shortage, is leading to long queues at Hyderabad petrol pumps.

On Tuesday, Hyderabadis woke up to the sight of a city inching forward on fumes, not because fuel had run out, but because fear had taken over.

By late Monday night, the first signs of unease began on Ramanthapur main road. On most evenings, the station serves a handful of customers at a time. Motorcycles began clustering near the dispensers and cars spilled out on to the main road. “I heard there might be a shortage and thought I should just fill up,” said Sunil, a 53-year-old businessman who lives in the area. “You don’t want to be caught unprepared if something goes wrong,” he added.

From Lakdikapul to Begumpet, Mettuguda to Secunderabad and Tarnaka to Uppal, petrol pumps saw a surge. At several locations, queues stretched over a kilometre. Social media only amplified the anxiety, with videos of long lines and “no stock” boards.

At a Go Gas outlet, attendants capped CNG refills at ₹500 per vehicle, turning away requests for full tanks. The move, meant to ration supply, only added to the sense of scarcity among drivers already waiting in long queues.

Due to the closure of several fuel outlets in the city, drivers of LPG-powered autorickshaws are facing severe delays. On Tuesday morning, queues stretched for nearly a kilometre in Lakdikapul, forcing drivers to wait over six hours for gas and resulting in a significant loss of daily customers. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

“At my outlet, we usually sell about 20 to 30 kilolitres a day,” said one operator, requesting anonymity. “On Tuesday, demand shot up five times. We sold in a day what would normally take nearly a week.”