Rajkot: At this time of the year, long queues of people with jerry cans (kerbas) are mostly spotted around water tankers in villages and towns of Gujarat.But for the fourth consecutive day, roads were clogged with tractors, farmers were endlessly waiting with cans in blistering heat, and import-export cargo was piling up at ports as the diesel shortage that began from Kutch spread across Saurashtra and Kutch regions.Along with transportation, farming activities came to a standstill and fuel pumps were forced stringently ration the essential fuel for running the economy.Transporters associated with the major ports of Kandla Port and Mundra Port said cargo movement has dropped drastically due to the shortage. “Container movement has reduced to around 1,000 per day from nearly 5,000 because of non-availability of diesel. We don’t get fuel from 7am to 12pm. Supply only starts arriving after noon. said Bhagirathsinh Jadeja, president of Kandla Mundra Container Transport Welfare Association.Movement of smaller commercial vehicles carrying coal, salt, machinery, and liquid cargo has reportedly fallen to nearly 25% of normal levels.Service roads around Gandhidham in Kutch have become badly congested as trucks unable to secure fuel at highway pumps moved into the city in search of diesel.The All India Transporters’ Welfare Association (AITWA) has issued an advisory warning stakeholders about severe diesel supply disruptions in multiple regions of the country.The advisory noted that the crisis has led to operational delays, vehicle idling, and the likelihood of disruptions in cargo services linked to Mundra Port and the Kutch region. It also urged companies and clients not to impose penalties, blacklist transporters, or take adverse contractual action against operators affected by the diesel shortage.Custom house agent Aashish Joshi said, ““The export-import business has been disrupted. There was already significant disturbance due to the war, and now the domestic diesel shortage has worsened this.”In Rajkot, was comparatively, truckers association officebearer Hasubhai Bhagdev said, “Our trucks are burning fuel while standing in queues to get limited quantities of diesel. Drivers are reluctant to take long-distance deliveries.”Rajkot district has nearly 5,000 trucks involved in transporting engineering goods, machine tools, food commodities, and industrial materials. Transporters said idle trucks continue to generate fixed operational costs even when business activity slows.Meanwhile, Rajkot District Collector Om Prakash a claimed there 46d% diesel stock and 34 % petrol stock available at fuel stations . “We have received complaints about some pumps running dry and instructed oil marketing companies to take immediate action.”Angry farmers protestThe situation has led to immense anger among farmers. In Amreli district, farmers blocked the Pipavav-Rajula highway in protest against the shortage by parking tractors on the road.Farmers said they had been struggling for nearly five days to obtain diesel and were spending hours waiting in queues without any certainty of getting fuel.“I have been standing in the queue for the last five hours since early morning,” said farmer Manubhai Nakum. “After waiting for 10 to 12 hours, we still do not get sufficient fuel. How are we supposed to continue farming?”“I have been in the queue since 2am. Some people were allowed to take fuel out of turn. Why does the government not understand our pain?,” said another farmer.A petrol pump in Dhrol town of Jamnagar had to seek police help after clashes reportedly broke out between farmers and fuel station staff. A video circulating on social media showed a frustrated farmer smashing a canister after allegedly failing to obtain diesel.Why PSU Fuel Pumps Are Seeing Long QueuesOMCs have has denied any actual diesel shortage, saying the rush at public sector fuel stations is due to a sharp shift in buying patterns.According to Sanjib Behera, diesel demand at PSU-operated pumps has surged by nearly 80% compared to the same period last year as bulk consumers shift from private depots to PSU outlets because of the steep price difference.Diesel at bulk depots is currently costlier by Rs 35- Rs 40 per litre, with prices ranging between Rs 125 and Rs 140 per litre. The gap has triggered heavy demand at PSU pumps, leading to long queues and temporary supply strain in parts of Saurashtra.“We expect the situation to normalise within the next couple of days,” Behera said.
