Long queues from 5am, tempers run high

Nagpur: At 5am on Wednesday, Vaibhav Kurhekar was already standing in a queue with dozens of others — some still in office clothes from night shift, some clutching tiffin bags, and many anxiously checking their fuel meters every few minutes. By the time the petrol pump opened, the line had already snaked far down the road. Even as the district administration maintained there is no fuel shortage, panic buying continued on the third consecutive day when routine fuel refilling turned into a struggle for thousands across the city. Two-wheeler riders were given fuel worth Rs100 to Rs200, while car owners were limited to around Rs1,000. Despite these measures, petrol pump staff struggled to manage crowds when arguments erupted as people tried to jump the line or when stocks suddenly ran out. Two-wheelers and cars began lining up outside fuel stations in almost every major locality even before sunrise, even before the shutters could open, in hope to get a few litres before supplies ran out. By mid-morning, queues had stretched up to 1km at many pumps, while several motorists were seen moving from one petrol pump to another in search of fuel, often wasting the little petrol left in their vehicles in the process.For office-goers, the crisis meant hours lost even before the workday began. Delivery workers, auto drivers and small traders were among the worst affected. "I left home at 5.15am thinking I would finish quickly and go to work. But many others were also waiting in line for the pump to open," said Kurhekar, who spent nearly an hour in a queue.Several petrol pumps remained shut through the morning, while others that opened were forced to close by early afternoon after exhausting their stock. "There were already long queues when our petrol pump opened at 6am. We supplied fuel till 1pm before shutting down. The next stock is expected at 8pm," said Ganesh Naktode, a pump worker in Surendra Nagar.Queues were reported even at highway petrol pumps late at night and early morning.Only a handful of outlets managed to function throughout the day, and even those were forced to introduce strict rationing to control demand.Petrol pump employees said the demand had more than doubled within two days due to panic buying. "On an average, we sell around 5,000 litres daily. On Tuesday, it crossed 13,000 litres. Even today, the demand is very high. People are filling fuel even if they already have enough, fearing it may not be available tomorrow," said Madhukar Damedar, a pump employee at Narendra Nagar pump.In several areas, citizens were seen waiting outside closed petrol pumps for hours, hoping that fresh tankers would arrive. Some commuters alleged that a few pumps insisted on cash transactions, while others faced long delays in digital payments. "I checked three petrol pumps, including in Mihan and on Wardha Road, but they were closed. When I finally found one that had fuel, I had to wait a long time and then struggle with payment," said Yash Vargantiwar, an IT professional.Transporter Kukku Marwah said fuel prices may rise in the coming days, which could impact essential commodities too. He also alleged that some petrol pump operators were taking advantage of the situation by undercutting supply practices and called on authorities to intervene.Even though some petrol pumps received fresh stock later in the day, the overall situation remained tense, with demand far exceeding supply.