Prayagraj: The fear of an impending fuel shortage forced Sangam city residents to queue up at petrol pumps since early morning for the third consecutive day on Friday despite repeated assurances from the district administration and oil companies.However, by evening, most fuel stations reported normal footfall. At Elgin Road pump station, the owner said that there was a rush of fuel seekers till 4 pm. “But now the situation is normal and people are getting fuel easily,” he said. Earlier in the day, police were deployed at several outlets, with barricades set up to manage crowds. The rush, many said, was triggered by ‘no stock’ boards at petrol pumps and images of serpentine queues on social media. Businessman, Rajul Bhargava of Lukerganj, said: “There are long queues at all fuel pumps assuming petrol and diesel stock is getting over. ‘No stock’ boards at some fuel pumps at Civil Lines further created panic. Authorities should ration fuel instead of allowing full tanks.” At multiple locations, customers were spotted carrying cans and bottles to stock fuel for generators and other uses, intensifying pressure on supply. A private bank employee, AK Dwivedi, said: “I came during lunch break but got stuck. With the financial year ending, I can’t afford to stay out of office for long. But the unwanted rush made me think petrol might run out so I had to stand in queue.” Youngsters and students, too, were caught in the chaos. A student, Harsh, said: “We have to wait at least an hour to refill my bike’s fuel tank. Petrol is essential for all deliveries and trading. Administration must initiate concrete steps to end such mess.” “The rumours on social media made people rush towards fuel tanks. Local administration and police must take preventive measures to clear the mess,” said Sushma. A consumer said since pumps at Civil lines, Thornhill Road were too crowded, Rana Pratap Marg had no fuel, so he had to go to the old city to get fuel. “Things would be worse if administration failed to curb these serpentine queues,” he added. The panic buying also hit local transport. Commuters faced long waits and surge in fares on ride-hailing platforms. Many said local tempo and auto drivers are asking for more fare since it became difficult over the past three days, with drivers either cancelling trips or demanding higher fares. While auto drivers said the situation was linked to availability of petrol or diesel, fuel station owners said panic buying has led to worsening the problem. The situation will be more difficult for daily commuters, including office goers, once the offices open on Monday. Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to easing chaos at LPG booking centers or distributors offices as customers, who made their prior bookings for gas, failed to get the cylinders in the stipulated time. Armed with challan and receipts, the majority of them were waiting for hours to get deliveries.
