NEW DELHI, April 4 -- The government on Saturday urged citizens to avoid panic buying of petrol, diesel and LPG, saying fuel supplies remain adequate despite disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the government is taking proactive steps to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and cooking gas, while advising people to rely only on official information and conserve energy.
The government has prioritised domestic LPG and piped natural gas (PNG) supplies, particularly for households, hospitals and essential services, and has implemented measures to boost refinery output and manage demand, including extending LPG refill intervals.
Authorities have also stepped up enforcement against hoarding and black marketing, conducting more than 3,700 raids and issuing around 1,000 show-cause notices to LPG distributors, with 27 dealerships suspended so far.
Despite supply pressures from the geopolitical situation, there are no reports of LPG shortages at distributor points, the ministry said in a statement, adding that about 51 lakh cylinders were delivered on Friday and online bookings accounted for 95 per cent of the total demand.
Commercial LPG supplies have been capped at 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, while alternative fuels, such as kerosene and coal, are being deployed to ease demand.
On natural gas, the government said it is ensuring full supplies to households and transport sectors, while industrial and fertiliser sector allocations are being gradually increased, supported by incoming LNG cargoes.
All refineries are operating at high capacity with adequate crude inventories, and petrol pumps across the country remain fully stocked, the ministry said.
To shield consumers from rising global oil prices, the government has cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by 10 rupees per litre and imposed export levies on diesel and aviation fuel to boost domestic availability.
Meanwhile, an Indian LPG tanker carrying roughly half a day's cooking gas supply has successfully crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz, while another vessel from Iran has reached the port of Mangalore, signalling continued fuel inflows despite regional disruptions.
"LPG vessel Green Sanvi has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, carrying 46,650 tonnes of LPG cargo with 25 seafarers on board," a government statement giving an update on West Asia developments said Saturday.
Green Sanvi is the seventh Indian-flagged LPG tanker to have transited the strategic waterway, which has remained effectively shut since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28 and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
Separately, an LPG cargo from Iran has arrived at Mangalore and is being discharged, according to the statement.
This perhaps is the first purchase of Iranian energy in seven years."LPG vessel Sea Bird carrying around 44,000 tonnes of Iranian LPG berthed at Mangalore, India on April 2 and is currently discharging," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a post on X.
After the passage of Green Sanvi, 17 Indian flagged vessels remain stranded on the west side of the strait.
For a country that relies on imports from the Gulf nations to meet as much as 60 per cent of its cooking gas needs, the arrivals will help ease the worst LPG shortage it is battling in decades. India consumed 33.15 million tonnes of LPG last year, with imports accounting for about 60 per cent of demand. As much as 90 per cent of those imports came from the Middle East.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.