Thankfully, the panic related to the petrol and diesel “shortage” is over now. Normal activity is presently going on at fuel stations with no extraordinary rush of vehicles.
After the intervention, and assurance of local administration that there is no fuel shortage, and subsequent continuous supply of petrol and diesel, things have settled down.
Such panic is not something new to Kashmir. On many occasions before the Valley has witnessed fear on possible fuel shortage.
In such a situation, thousands of people with their vehicles throng petrol pumps, most of them with the intention to fill up the tank. The massive rush amid chaotic situation becomes difficult to handle not only at fuel stations but on the adjacent roads also.
The arrival of large number of people with cans to get petrol, adds to the problem. According to government officials, a sizeable number of them try to get petrol with the sole intention of selling it in black later.
However, this time authorities did a right thing by timely imposing a ban on providing petrol in cans. They said FIR would be lodged against owners of those pump, where people get petrol in cans.
Being concerned over fuel shortage or possibility of such a shortage can be a natural reaction among the masses as vehicles need fuel to move.
Non-availability of fuel can adversely affect the normal life since people cannot travel to their destinations including places of work and back home. But getting panicky and trying to fill the tank full and not sparing petrol for others is not a wise response.
There are some persons, who are questioning the logic behind the panic buying of petrol and diesel on occasions like first COVID lockdown. They ask what was the fun in creating so much panic by thronging the pump stations in thousands, filling up petrol tank full and then keeping the vehicles at home for months or weeks together due to lockdown and not moving out.
Thankfully, this time the panic lasted only for some days and things were back to normal soon.
The panic this time was because of the rumours on social media that there was shortage of fuel in the country and that whatever stock left was going to exhaust shortly.
The government denied such reports describing those as rumours. Since the panic is over, people now hope that they do not have to face such uneasy situation again.