Queues persist, but move faster at Nashik fuel stns

Nashik: Several petrol pumps across Nashik city reported long queues on Friday as close to 40% of outlets ran dry by Thursday evening.Most petrol pumps refrained from placing limits on fuel sales. However, some outlets, particularly in the city' central parts, introduced caps of Rs300 for two-wheelers and Rs2,000 for four-wheelers to stretch their available stock.Dealers said, "The pattern of consumption has become unpredictable due to the sudden spike in demand." Petrol pump operators claimed, "Nearly 60% of pumps had gone dry by Thursday evening, leaving only 40% functioning. There was a slight improvement by Friday evening, when nearly about 40% pumps ran dry. Despite this, the overall supply-demand imbalance continued to create pressure on fuel outlets."Motorists reported relatively shorter waiting times on Friday compared to the peak queues witnessed earlier in the week. Vijay Thakre, president of the Nashik District Petrol Dealers Welfare Association, said that while several outlets received fresh fuel tankers on Friday morning, many of them ran dry by Friday evening due to persistent rush. "Around 40% of petrol pumps dried by Friday evening. The functional pumps did see queues, but the rush was comparatively lower than the last few days," he said.Thakre urged citizens not to panic, stating that fuel supply to the district remained adequate. He expressed confidence that the situation would stabilise over the next couple of days as panic buying subsides and people return to regular purchasing patterns.Nashik district has around 550 petrol pumps, including nearly 170 within city limits. Several pumps located along highways continued to witness heavier inflow of vehicles, adding to the overall strain on supply.