Kerala - Kochi   

Fuel crisis likely

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Many pumps are expected to go dry by Tuesday if the truckers' strike continues and the authorities fail to make alternative arrangements for supply of petroleum products. Many of the traders, it is feared, have no back-up storage for ensuring uninterrupted supply of fuel.

"Some petrol pumps have started feeling the pressure. Probably because people have been filling up the vehicles during the weekend in anticipation of a long drawn-out strike," said David T. Mookken, president, All Kerala Federation of Petroleum Dealers, here on Monday.

"Some of the petroleum companies have vehicles of their own, and there are vehicles confiscated by the authorities. Even then there is the problem of finding enough hands to operate these vehicles," Mr. Mookken said.

The authorities fear that there will be a crisis by Wednesday morning. "At present, all the dealers have enough stock since we had given five-day credit on March 31," said Soman Mathew, chief divisional retail sales manager, Indian Oil Corporation. The Corporation has asked the dealers to place their trucks for collecting fuel if the strike continues.

`No panic buying'

However, the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation seems to have stocked up enough commodities to wait out the strike. "We had asked our suppliers to ensure supply before March 31 and hence we have ample stock at present," said Yogesh Gupta, managing director, Supplyco.

No "panic buying" has been reported till now and the Corporation has enough supply to last at least a month. "We have the daily monitoring system to ensure that the depots have enough stock available," Mr. Gupta said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Tanker lorries seized in Ernakulam 30 tanker lorries seized
Surveying of Kannan Devan Hills on
Naval ship comes to the rescue of stranded merchant vessel
Fuel crisis likely
Kuchipudi workshop in Kozhikode
Nature at its best
Vacation classes

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu