CHENNAI: Don’t panic about petrol or diesel. The state government has initiated measures to procure fossil fuel from alternative sources.
A total of 475 kilo litres of petrol and 875 kilo litres of diesel has been procured and is being shipped to the city.
The government swung into action after the city was in the grip of a severe shortage of diesel and petrol with ‘no stock’ signage adorning the filling stations the last couple of days.
The efforts to tide over the fuel crisis came after discussions with Indian oil Corporation.
The state government said a total of 67 tanker lorries are on their way to Chennai with petrol and diesel.
Most of the city’s petrol bunks have gone dry as supply from various plants in Tondiarpet and Ennore in North Chennai are flooded. The government has decided to bring petrol and diesel to the city from Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum plants located at Korukkupet, and also from Ennore Tank Terminal Private Limited in Ennore.
It is learnt that 22 tanker lorries from Sankagiri, 25 tankers from Trichy, 10 from Bangalore and 10 from Chitoor would be providing additional fuel to Chennai.
Meanwhile, the state government is procuring gas cylinders from IOC at Ennore and Chengalpattu and Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Manali bottling plant.
Efforts are on to procure more LPG cylinders from IOC’s bottling plant in Chengalpet. Earlier 20 lorries from Chengalpattu supplied LPG cylinders to Chennai and now they have been increased to 90, according to the state government. These efforts would end the fuel crisis in Chennai.
IOC officials said floodwater has entered Attipattu and Manali LPG bottling plants. Though works have began at Attipattu plant on Saturday, functioning is yet resume at Manali. “However, there are no problems at the Chengalpattu bottling plant and steps are being taken to ferry cylinders from Salem bottling plant,” IOC sources said.
The real problem, sources said, was several truck drivers and LPG cylinder delivery boys not reporting for duty after the devastating floods inundated their houses. “This is the major problem that we are facing now,” the sources added. IOC claims to caters to 50 per cent of LPG subscribers in Chennai.