Will petrol run out due to rust? As soon as the news was heard, a crowd gathered at the pump, a long queue of vehicles remained there throughout the night.

Maharashtra: The impact of increasing tension in the Middle East is now being felt even in the cities of India. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran has increased concern at the global level. People are apprehensive that if the situation worsens, it may have a direct impact on daily needs. This fear created a different situation in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar of Maharashtra, where the rumor of running out of petrol created panic among the people. As soon as the news spread that due to the war, crude oil imports could be affected and petrol pumps could be closed, people became nervous.

People started reaching petrol pumps in large numbers in many areas of the city. Within no time, long queues formed outside the pumps. The crowd of two-wheelers and four-wheelers increased so much that traffic problems arose at some places. The situation became such that many people tried to fill more fuel than required. The atmosphere became tense due to fear and uncertainty. At some places the police had to intervene to control the crowd.

temporary interruption in supply

Due to it being Sunday and dust storm, fuel supply could not reach some pumps on time. This gave further fuel to the rumours. Where the supply arrived a little late, the pumps had to be closed for some time. This made people feel that there was actually a shortage of petrol, whereas it was not so. This temporary obstruction increased the anxiety of the people and the crowd increased further. However, the administration clarified that this was only a technical and weather related delay.

Appeal from administration and dealers

To handle the situation, the police and local administration appealed to the people to maintain peace. President of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Akhil Abbas made it clear that at present there is no shortage of petrol in the city. He said that the war has not yet had any direct impact on the availability of fuel. The Dealers Association urged citizens not to believe in rumors and not to overfill fuel. He assured that the supply is normal and there is no need to panic.