Tripura reeling under severe fuel crisis

Tripura is reeling under severe fuel crisis for the last few days due to disruptions in supplies following a road blockade in Assam besides mega rail blockage for conversion work.

Most of the fuel filling stations hanged play cards of 'no petrol' and long queues were seen outside a lone petrol pump.

The people complained that they had to wait for long hours to get their turn to fill petrol and could not do many important works.

"The state authority should take some measure to overcome the crisis because we have been waiting for hours to fill petrol," said a businessman named Joydip Nath.

Nath, who had to wait in the long queue for more than an hour to fill petrol in his bike, said the numbers of filling station are not increasing in the state in proportionate to the increasing vehicle.

"And this is also adding to the crisis," he added.

Samar Paul, a biker, said the fuel price has slashed during the last few days but the worst sufferers are the customers.

"The owners fear that they may face loss if they have stock, so they do not keep fuel in their stock. If the price slashes by Rs. two per litre of petrol, the owners have to bear loss. So, they do not stock the fuel and we are at the suffering end," he added.

Recently, there was a landslide in Loharpua in upper Assam and as a result of which the oil tankers could not come through NH 44 to Tripura. Moreover, the rail links has also stopped due to the conversion work, thereby, leading to delivery problem in the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and crisis of petrol and diesel in Tripura.

"Mainly due to road problem in upper Assam's Loharpua, the tankers are reaching here in six days while normally they cover the distance in three days. So, the vehicles are reaching late to Agartala and there is shortage of oil in the filling stations," said Pradip Sarkar, a staff of a filling station.

"If the roads do not have problem, oil will be available but since rainy season has arrived nothing can be assured," he added.

It is expected that this situation would continue for the next few days, but the situation may worsen with the arrival of the rainy season.