Panic buying of fuel dips in Trichy

After two days of intense panic buying of petrol and diesel at fuel stations across Trichy city, the rush of commuters significantly decreased on Friday. Many fuel stations gradually resumed supplying fuel to customers as usual, and the situation is steadily moving towards normalcy.Panic buying, triggered by fears of a shortage, resumed at fuel stations in Trichy on Friday morning. However, the situation began to improve steadily following reassurances from authorities and dealers about adequate fuel availability. Ara Amuthan, proprietor of Subhaga Agencies (Bharat Petroleum) at Old Palpannai Junction, Trichy, said, "The rush was severe the previous day due to unnecessary panic. Today, the number of visitors was much lower. We urge people not to crowd the stations based on rumours."There are around 350 fuel stations in Trichy city. While many agreed to fill fuel in cans and bottles on Thursday, several others outrightly refused and insisted on filling only vehicle tanks on Friday. As a result, queues became noticeably shorter and waiting times decreased considerably.V. Venkatraman, a dealer of Hindustan Petroleum in West Thillai Nagar, Trichy, said, "Customers are now filling fuel for their actual requirements, rather than out of panic. So, we are equally relieved." Some fuel stations, particularly those near Cantonment area, closed temporarily for a few hours after running out of stock due to exceptionally high demand. Once they received fresh supplies via tanker lorries, they promptly resumed operations.Meanwhile, in the delta districts, panic buying continued to prevail on Friday, with many commuters queuing up to fill their vehicles. The situation gradually improved as the day progressed, though the return to normalcy was slightly slower compared to Trichy city. District collectors issued statements appealing to the public to refrain from panic buying as supplies remain sufficient and not to believe or spread rumours. They also instructed fuel station owners not to dispense petrol or diesel in cans and bottles.