Pumps in city running low on fuel, gas stock

MUMBAI: You may start feeling the pinch of the fuel and gas shortage-caused by the oil officers' strike that began on Wednesday morning-from Thursday.
This is likely to affect the movement of both private and public vehicles, the latter including buses, autos and taxis. Hotels and commercial establishments, too, may find it difficult to get proper supply of piped natural gas and CNG.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set up a committee to look into the pay revision demands of the officers, who have shown little signs of budging.
The supply of fuel to Mumbai was drastically curtailed on Wednesday as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) sent only a few tankers to refuel the Wadala terminal, the main storage point for Mumbai.
The only silver lining was that tankers from Hindustan Petroleum (HP), which had refrained from joining the strike, came in full force to the Wadala terminal.
Ravi Shinde, president of the Federation of All Maharashtra Petrol Dealers' Association, said IOC sent only four tankers to Wadala on Wednesday while BPCL despatched 12 of them. On a normal day, IOC sends close to 15 tankers and BPCL an average of 35 tankers. Only HPCL sent its normal supply of 40 tankers to the terminal, said sources.
"People coming to the petrol pumps did not find anything unusual on Wednesday as the dealers had old stock. But it cannot last too long," said Shinde. Petrol dealers said people would feel the heat from Thursday if the supplies continued to be curtailed.
Reports said the two companies could not send due supplies even to the Vashi terminal, the distribution point for pumps in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.
P K Gupta, MD of Mahanagar Gas Ltd, said they were able to meet the supply for domestic piped gas and CNG for autos and taxis. "Only gas supply to commercial and industrial customers has been hit. Let's hope the situation does not get worse," he said.
However, taxi operators reported long queues at CNG outlets and "no stock" boards as early as Wednesday night. A L Quadros, president of the Mumbai Taximen's Union, said 55,000 cabs would go off the roads if the stir continued.