Oil cos make LPG, petrol available in J&K

As efforts are stepped up to return normalcy in the flood-ravaged Kashmir valley, state- owned oil firms have made available about 33,300 domestic cooking gas (LPG) cylinders and several hundred litres of petrol and diesel in Srinagar.

Stating that several measures to ensure availability of essential petroleum products in the aftermath of floods in Jammu and Kashmir have been taken, an official statement said the availability of petrol, diesel and LPG is normal in Jammu division.

"The situation in Srinagar division is challenging and efforts are being made to ensure that adequate fuel is made available in the division," it said.

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have made available 33,296 LPG cylinders, 1,807 kilolitre (kl) of petrol and 3,783 kl of diesel in Srinagar.

Further, 54,804 LPG cylinders, 1,661 kl petrol and 3,292 kl of diesel have been dispatched to Srinagar via Jammu- Srinagar Highway, Kishtwar-Sithan Top route and the Leh- Srinagar route.

"There are 201 Retail Outlets (petrol pumps) in Srinagar Division, out of which 171 are functional," 11 more than yesterday, the statement said.

A private LPG bottling plant at Srinagar is operational while a LPG filling plant of HPCL in the city is still inundated with water.

"Hence, additional LPG cylinders are being bottled at the bottling plants of IOC and HPCL at Jammu. Arrangements for additional bulk LPG supply to feed these bottling plants at Jammu and for trucks to transport the cylinders from Jammu to Srinagar have been made," the statement added.

To pump out water, two 2400 GPM John Deere pumps sent by ONGC are running efficiently in two shifts in Rajbagh area and 4 pumps (2 of capacity 1800 LPM and another 2 of capacity 275 LPM) sent from ONGC, Dehradun are running round the clock at BadamiBagh area in Srinagar.