Rumours of shortage spark panic buying at petrol bunks in TN delta districts
Chennai, March 12
Panic buying triggered by rumours of an impending fuel shortage led to several petrol bunks running out of stock across the delta districts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday.
Fuel outlets in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts witnessed an unprecedented rush of motorists, particularly during the morning hours, as people hurried to fill their vehicle tanks fearing supply disruptions.
Petrol bunk operators said the sudden spike in demand was largely driven by unverified messages circulating on social media claiming that fuel supplies could soon become scarce due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
These messages, often accompanied by visuals showing long queues of vehicles at petrol stations in Chennai and other major cities, created anxiety among motorists in the delta region and prompted them to rush to nearby fuel outlets.
While petrol stocks were quickly depleted at several urban outlets, operators said some quantity of diesel remained available.
According to them, many commercial vehicle operators who rely on diesel had already stocked up sufficient fuel earlier in the week.
A petrol bunk operator said several private diesel commercial vehicle service providers had accumulated enough diesel to sustain their operations for about a week, which helped reduce the immediate demand for diesel at retail outlets.
Interestingly, there were relatively fewer autorickshaws at petrol bunks despite the heavy rush of two-wheelers and cars.
Operators said many regular customers, including some auto drivers and small commercial operators, had already been alerted earlier and supplied with fuel in advance.
In some cases, fuel was reportedly provided to regular customers in plastic cans after filling their vehicle tanks to ensure they had sufficient stock for their routine operations.
Private service providers such as earthmover operators, harvest contractors, tour operators, and packers and movers usually maintain emergency fuel reserves by purchasing petrol or diesel in plastic cans and drums whenever uncertainty over supply arises.
Though panic buying was widespread in urban pockets of the delta districts, the situation was comparatively calm in some rural areas such as Thiruthuraipoondi and Vedaranyam, where fuel sales continued without unusual crowds.
However, a few petrol bunks near the pilgrimage town of Velankanni were reported to have temporarily run out of petrol following a sudden surge in demand.
— IANS
Reader Comments
My cousin in Thanjavur sent me a video of the queues. It's madness. People should understand that global conflicts don't immediately stop fuel trucks on our highways. We need better public awareness.
As a farmer from the delta region, I can say this panic buying affects us directly. Our tractors and pumps need diesel. When city folks hoard, it disrupts our agricultural cycle. Please think of others.
Respectfully, the government and oil companies share some blame here. They should issue immediate clarifications through official channels when such rumours start. A simple SMS alert could prevent this chaos.
Living in Chennai, I saw the same rumours here last week. It's a domino effect. Social media platforms need to do more to flag and remove this misinformation quickly. The panic is completely unnecessary.
The article mentions regular customers getting fuel in plastic cans. While it's good they are looked after, storing fuel like that is a major safety hazard! 🚨 Hope people are being careful.
This is why digital literacy is so important, especially for our elders who forward every message without checking. We need community workshops to teach people how to verify news. Jai Hind.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.