Fuel rushed to Kashmir as Jammu-Srinagar highway reopens

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Tuesday started despatching petroleum products to flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir following the reopening of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said.

"As part of its efforts to restore normalcy in petroleum supplies in the flood-affected areas of Kashmir Division, IOC has loaded and dispatched about 400 kilo-litres (kl) of petrol and 1,000 kl of diesel in tank-trucks from its Srinagar depot ... for distribution in local markets," officials said here.

They said loading operations at the IOC's Srinagar depot were resumed Sep 11 in the manual mode.

The bulk petroleum depot of Bharat Petroleum in Srinagar also resumed operations Sep 12, and about 400 kl of petrol and 600 kl of diesel were dispatched from the depot.

Since the Hindustan Petroleum depot in Srinagar is yet to become operational, its petrol pumps in the flood-affected areas are receiving products from both the IOC and Bharat Petroleum as part of a hospitality arrangement.

The three companies are ensuring that all operable petrol pumps in the flood-hit areas are up and running for the benefit of motorists, they said.

"Apart from replenishing stocks at petrol pumps, high priority is being given to the fuel requirements of the various flood-relief agencies, district administration, hospitals and other essential services, telecom operators, etc.

"Bulk stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG available at the IOC's winter-stocking installations in Leh and Kargil came in very handy to quickly move rescue petroleum supplies to flood-hit areas during the critical phase, and maintain supplies," the authorities said.

Distribution of cooking gas cylinders to customers in Srinagar has also commenced, as fresh stock has moved from bottling plants in Srinagar and Leh.

Over 125 truckloads of cooking cylinders have been sent to Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir division through alternative routes from Chandigarh, Hoshiarpur and Jammu.

"In view of disruption in road connectivity on some arterial routes connecting Jammu to parts of Kashmir division for the past 10 days, trucks carrying petrol, diesel and LPG had to be rushed from as far as Leh, Kargil, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Bhatinda, Hoshiarpur, Bahadurgarh and Rewari to feed markets in Srinagar, Anantnag and other south Kashmir districts," the authorities said.