HYDERABAD: Petrol pump associations and owners have claimed that due to the lockdown and the subsequent loss of business in many sectors requiring fuel, the demand for fuel has dropped down by almost 20-30 per cent across the city and close to 50 per cent in areas such as HiTech City, Kondapur and Madhapur.
Speaking to Express, Rajiv Amaran, president of Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association, said, “Across the city, the demand for fuel has dipped around 20 to 30 per cent. Apart from lower consumption, taxi drivers and travel agents who take fuel from us on a credit basis have not been able to repay us as they have been out of business for almost a year.
"We are scared to pick up calls because we assume it is the collection agents from the banks. To top it off, even public transport is not running at its full capacity.”
Many also said that they are unable to sell off their property to pay off debts due to the registration issue on the Dharani portal.
Another petrol pump owner from HiTech city, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We are drowning in debts. While petrol pumps in other parts of the city are still picking up, in the IT areas, because everyone is working from home, we are facing a dip in demand close to 50-70 per cent.”