KARIMNAGAR; Thousands of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicle owners have been facing severe inconvenience in the erstwhile Karimnagar district as “No stock” boards frequently greet them at petrol pumps. Regular alerts about the unavailability of CNG are being circulated through WhatsApp groups created by petrol stations, offering little relief to vehicle owners.
Nearly 8,000 to 10,000 CNG vehicle owners, especially owners of three-wheelers and four-wheelers, are struggling due to the irregular supply of the fuel. Whenever fresh CNG supplies reach filling stations, serpentine queues of vehicles can be seen waiting for refuelling.
At present, CNG filling stations are available in Karimnagar city at Padmanagar, Vidyaranyapuri and Thimmapur, besides one station each in Ramagundam in Peddapalli district and Jagtial district. To manage the rush, several filling stations have created WhatsApp groups for customers and inform them whenever CNG stock arrives.
V Gopikrishna, a four-wheeler owner, lamented that after the government encouraged people to shift towards eco-friendly fuel options, vehicle owners are now struggling to get CNG.
“I frequently receive messages saying ‘CNG No Stock’. Whenever I get a message that stock is available, I rush to the filling station only to find long queues,” said Gopikrishna.
Ashok, an auto driver, said that during peak demand, the shortage of CNG was becoming a serious issue. As a result, they were being forced to use petrol, which was not economically viable for their operations.
Consumers demanded that the Civil Supplies authorities regularly monitor CNG supply and take steps to prevent recurring shortages.
