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New Delhi: Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has assured that there is no immediate shortage of petrol, diesel, or other fuels. He said the country has enough stocks to handle any short-term problems caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel, Iran, and others.

The minister’s statement came after reports emerged of motorists thronging petrol pumps in different parts of the country after social media rumours linking a possible fuel shortage to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Rumours trigger panic buying at petrol pumps

He explained that India has crude oil reserves for about 25 days and stocks of refined products like petrol and diesel for another 25 days. “The country is well stocked with crude oil and key products like petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel to deal with short-term issues from West Asia,” Puri said.

Crowds seen in Maharashtra, Kashmir and Tripura

Such crowds were reported from several places. In Hyderabad, Telangana, people started gathering at pumps after evening prayers on March 2, forming long lines and some even filling bottles or cans. In Parbhani, Maharashtra, many drivers hurried to fuel stations worried that petrol might run out soon. Similar scenes took place in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, where heavy crowds appeared late at night with queues stretching far outside pumps.

A dust storm and Sunday holiday delayed some fuel deliveries, causing a few stations to close temporarily and making the rumours seem more real. In some spots police had to step in to manage the crowds. The local Petrol Pump Dealers Association appealed to residents not to trust false stories. Reports also came from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, where sudden long lines formed at fuel stations, and from Tripura, where people thronged pumps due to the same fears.