Fuel demand to go up after govt allows some industries to resume operations

Petrol and diesel sales dropped by more than 66% and ATF consumption collapsed by 90% after the nationwide lockdown shut factories, stopped road and rail transportation and suspended flights

Petrol and diesel consumption, which saw its biggest ever decline in the aftermath of a nationwide lockdown, is likely to pick up in the second half of the month after the government on Wednesday allowed trucks to ply and permitted farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after April 20.

Petrol and diesel sales dropped by more than 66 per cent and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) consumption collapsed by 90 per cent after the unprecedented nationwide lockdown shut factories, stopped road and rail transportation and suspended flights.

"The government has allowed inter and intra-state movement of goods traffic by road