Jamshedpur: Motorists in Jamshedpur grappled with fuel shortages for the second consecutive day as a majority of petrol pumps across the Steel City ran dry, forcing people to wait in long queues at the few outlets that still had stock.Several pumps displayed “No Petrol” signs, while vehicles lined up in long queues at operational stations. Many motorists had to wait until evening for fresh supplies, enduring delays of up to 30–40 minutes in hot and humid weather conditions.“Today’s experience reminds me of the May 13 episode when several motorists like me had to endure temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius while standing under the scorching sun to refill our tanks,” said Ghanshyam Mahato (34), who was waiting at a petrol pump in Kadma.Gurpreet Kaur, a school teacher, said she spent over 20 minutes in a queue at Sankata Singh Petrol Pump in Jugsalai to refuel her scooter.Petroleum dealers attributed the disruption to a supply chain issue stemming from ethanol blending at BPCL’s Bokaro refinery. “The ethanol blending exceeded the prescribed E10 ratio, which disrupted supplies,” said Kunal Kar, secretary of the Kolhan Petroleum Dealers’ Association (KPDA).He clarified that the problem is with oil companies, not fuel station operators. “The disruption in the supply chain was caused by the ethanol blending issue. The oil companies are primarily responsible for it,” Kar said.Following corrective measures overnight, fuel supplies slowly began to resume from the morning at several places. Kar added that several HPCL tankers had already reached the city and more were on the way, with BPCL supplies also stabilising.Of the roughly 140 fuel stations in East Singhbhum district, around 72 in the urban belt were affected by the shortage, dealers said.
