2 min readMumbaiMar 27, 2026 07:36 PM IST
Long queues of vehicles were spotted across petrol pumps in Mumbai’s suburbs as citizens engaged in panic buying of fuel fearing an impending shortage. However, fuel dealers refuted any claims of paucity of fuel supply.
Petrol pumps across Kurla reported a 30% to 40% upswing in fuel purchase, with petrol sales standing at roughly 22,000 liters as compared to initial sales of 16,000 liters daily on Thursday. Likewise, petrol stations in Kalyan tripled their sales from 15,000 liters to 40,000 liters of petrol sold on the same day.
Motorists queuing up at fuel stations were gripped by uncertainty surrounding the fuel scenario. Sagar, a car wash cleaner who queued up at a pump in Kharghar, claimed he was stocking up on petrol because of the impending fuel shortage. “News of fuel supply depletion is all over social media. My peers have also instructed me to stock up before it’s too late”, he added.
Stock at certain petrol pumps has also taken a temporary hit. “While panic buying and fuel hoarding may have caused momentary stock exhaustion across a few pumps, there is ample supply and no shortage in the upcoming days”, said Ravi Shinde, owner of Ravi Automobile Indian Oil Services in Tilaknagar.
Chetan Modi, the president of the Petrol Dealers Association attributed stock reduction and the delays in refilling to two reasons. “Firstly, certain pumps are located far from storage depots or terminals, increasing the travel time for tankers. Secondly, certain dealers could not make advance payments to purchase fuel because of the weekend and two holidays, resulting in low levels of existing stock”, Modi explained.
Earlier this week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also assured citizens of adequate fuel reserves, directing them to not engage in panic buying. In the interim, oil marketing companies Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have also negated claims of fuel shortage through their social media handles.
(Inputs from Piyush Patil)
