A day of turmoil: Petrol sales jumped by 141% & diesel by 107% in Lucknow | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Fuel consumption in Lucknow witnessed a dramatic surge on Thursday when rumours led to queues at the pumps, with petrol sales jumping by over 140% and that of diesel by more than 100%.According to consolidated figures from three govt oil companies — Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited — total petrol sales increased from 881 kilolitres (KL) on Wednesday to 2,123 KL on Thursday, a steep rise of 141%.Similarly, diesel sales climbed from 768 KL on Wednesday to 1,591 KL on Thursday, a jump of 107% in 24 hours.District supply officer, Lucknow, VP Singh, said the spike in demand was largely driven by bulk purchases by consumers amid rumours regarding fuel availability. He reiterated there is no shortage of petrol or diesel at 290 outlets in Lucknow district, adding that supply lines remain stable.The administration has appealed to the public to avoid panic buying and warned that such behaviour could lead to unnecessary pressure on supply systems and create artificial scarcity.“Monitoring of fuel stations has been intensified to ensure smooth and regulated distribution. All SHOs are on alert. PAC jawans and cops have been deployed at some retail outlets in the city to maintain,” said JCP, law and order, Babloo Kumar.Chief warden, civil defence, Amarnath Mishra, told TOI that civil defence volunteers were deployed at petrol pumps on Friday where they assisted in crowd management and ensuring orderly fuel distribution.Some residents claimed that fuel rationing was done at several petrol pumps amid the sudden surge in demand.Mohammed Bilal, a resident of Dewa Road, said he was allowed petrol worth only Rs 2,000 in his car, and when he requested more, the pump staff refused, citing instructions to limit supply. Akash Sharma, a two-wheeler rider from Rajendra Nagar, said he was given petrol worth just Rs 200 despite needing more for daily commuting.