Long queues at petrol pumps in Maharashtra's Buldhana, but officials say fuel supply sufficient

Amid fears of disruption in oil supply, people in Maharashtra's Buldhana, like many other districts in the state, are seen making beelines at the petrol pumps with vehicles or carrying plastic cans to get their share of fuel.

Authorities, however, maintain that there was no shortage of fuel in the district, and urge people to refrain from panic buying.

Long queues of vehicles on the one side of petrol pumps and rows of cans placed one after the other on the other side is a scene that can be seen everywhere in the district.

Videos and photos of people crowding the petrol pumps have gone viral on social media.

Farmers say that although the kharif sowing season is inching closer, they are finding it difficult to till the fields with tractors as non-availability of diesel is rendering them useless.

Officials, however, say there was no shortage of fuel, and claim that the district was getting more fuel than it usually gets.

District Supply Officer and Resident Deputy Collector Suresh Kavhale appealed to citizens not to panic and not to hoard extra fuel.

''There is no shortage of fuel in the district. Enough fuel is coming into the district. The supply is higher than usual. Vehicle owners should not unnecessarily hoard fuel and should not panic,'' he said.

A video of a petrol pump in Lonar town in the district has gone viral on social media, showing people with cans in their hands rushing towards a petrol pump operated by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).

Reacting to it on its official X handle, HPCL said the viral video being circulated on social media claiming fuel shortage in Buldhana was misleading and requires proper verification to ascertain whether the crowd movement shown is actually related to fuel availability concerns.

The increased customer footfall being observed at certain retail outlets is primarily attributable to ongoing agricultural seasonal demand and the shift of certain bulk consumers towards retail outlets, it said.

It further said that all oil marketing companies along with local administration, dealers, and other stakeholders were actively coordinating to ensure smooth operations, orderly vehicle movement, and uninterrupted fuel availability across the district.

''As part of these efforts, local advisories regarding dispensing of fuel in containers/cans are being implemented in accordance with administrative guidance and safety norms. As of May 21, 2026, all 48 HPCL retail outlets in Buldhana district are operational and functioning normally,'' it said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)