In a bid to boost domestic energy supplies amid disruptions in West Asia, two Indian-flagged LPG carriers safely transited the conflict-hit Strait of Hormuz early Saturday and are now heading towards ports in Gujarat. lpg carrier Shivalik And Nanda Devi We are going to Mundra and Kandla respectively, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, said at a media briefing. He said the ships are carrying a total of 92,700 tonnes of LPG and are expected to reach Indian ports on March 16 or 17. The two ships were among the 24 ships that were stranded on the western side of the strategic waterway since the war began in the region.
Adequate stock of petrol and diesel
Urging consumers to avoid panic booking of LPG cylinders, a senior petroleum ministry official said there is ample availability of petrol and diesel in India and refineries are operating at full capacity despite disruptions related to the West Asia conflict.Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing, Joint Secretary (Marketing and Oil Refinery) Sujata Sharma said the country currently has adequate crude oil supplies and domestic production is meeting the fuel requirements.“As far as crude oil and refineries are concerned, we have adequate supplies of crude oil and our refineries are operating at full capacity. There are no reports of oil drying up at retail outlets. Adequate petrol and diesel are available,” he said.He said that India does not need to import petrol and diesel at present. Sharma said, “We produce enough petrol and diesel in the country as per our requirement, so there is no need for us to import them.”
Monitoring LPG supply, emphasis on PNG for commercial users
While domestic fuel supplies remain stable, the official expressed concern about the availability of LPG amid the current geopolitical situation.“With regard to LPG supply, I would like to say that it is still a matter of concern for us given the current geopolitical situation. However, there has been no report of drought,” she said.The government is encouraging commercial consumers facing supply disruptions to switch to piped natural gas (PNG). In this context, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has held meetings with the city gas distribution operators to facilitate immediate PNG connections wherever possible.“There was a lot of discussion regarding commercial cylinders and after that it was decided that some LPG should be supplied to commercial consumers also,” Sharma said, adding that distribution has started in about 29 states and union territories.
Increase in panic booking, government appeals for restraint
Sharma also pointed to the sharp increase in LPG bookings and termed the trend as panic-driven.He said, “Panic booking is still happening on a very large scale. Yesterday, we informed you that the number of bookings was around 7.5-7.6 million, and now the number has increased to around 8.8 million. So this is nothing but panic booking.”He appealed to the consumers to exercise restraint and urged them to place orders only when needed. Sharma said, “I would like to appeal to the citizens of the country to avoid panic booking and book only when there is genuine need. This will be good for everyone.”Highlighting the progress in digital adoption, the official said most of the LPG bookings are already being done online. “Currently online booking is around 84 per cent, but it needs to improve to around 100 per cent,” he said.(with inputs from agencies)
