Kurnool: Petrol and diesel shortages continued to disrupt life across several Rayalaseema districts on Monday, with long queues forming at fuel stations from the early hours as motorists waited for hours to refill their vehicles.
Many vehicle owners reportedly began lining up as early as 3 am in the hope of securing limited supplies. The situation remained particularly severe in parts of Kurnool district, including Adoni and Yemmiganur, besides Kurnool town. Similar scenes were reported in Nandyal, Dhone and several areas of Kadapa district.
Frustrated residents blamed the authorities for failing to regulate oil companies effectively and alleged that officials remained inactive until the crisis worsened. “We have never seen such a shortage anywhere else. Why is it happening only here?” asked a commuter at an Indian Oil Corporation fuel station near the Nandyal check-post area in Kurnool town. “I waited for two hours just to get two litres of petrol,” he said.
In Nandyal town, a car owner said, “I planned to travel to Hyderabad, but even after waiting for three hours, I could not get diesel. This is extremely frustrating.”
In Kadapa district, collector Dr Cherukuri Sridhar said 71 of the district’s 242 petrol bunks were facing fuel shortages. Addressing the media along with Joint Collector Nidhi Meena, he said recent disruptions in petrol and diesel supplies had led to the crisis and that a rationalisation system was being implemented to manage available stocks efficiently.
Officials said several outlets of oil marketing companies, including IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara Energy and Reliance Industries, were affected. Of the 95 HPCL outlets, 31 were without fuel, while shortages were reported at 17 of 67 IOCL bunks, 19 of 63 BPCL bunks, three of 14 Nayara outlets and one of three Reliance outlets.
To address the issue, the Collector said the state government had directed oil companies to supply an additional 10 per cent fuel for general consumption to ease the shortage.
As the situation intensified, district authorities swung into action. Kurnool Collector Dr A. Sireesha and Nandyal Collector G. Rajakumari conducted surprise inspections at several fuel stations on Monday. Revenue and civil supplies officials also carried out checks at multiple locations, while police personnel were deployed at petrol bunks to manage crowds and maintain order.
Speaking to the media during an inspection, Dr Sireesha said, “The situation is gradually coming under control. Adequate fuel stocks are expected to arrive by Monday night. There is no need for the public to panic.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Rajakumari urged citizens to remain calm. “People should not panic. Fuel should be used judiciously and only as required. Supplies are being coordinated with oil companies,” she said.
Despite the assurances, the situation had yet to fully stabilise, with supply disruptions continuing to affect commuters across the region.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
