Government Advises Against Panic Buying, Assures Adequate Fuel Supply

PTI, April 4, 2026, New Delhi: The government on Saturday urged citizens to avoid panic buying of petrol, diesel and LPG, saying fuel supplies remain adequate despite disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the government is taking proactive steps to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and cooking gas, while advising people to rely only on official information and conserve energy.

The government has prioritised domestic LPG and piped natural gas (PNG) supplies, particularly for households, hospitals and essential services, and has implemented measures to boost refinery output and manage demand, including extending LPG refill intervals.

Authorities have also stepped up enforcement against hoarding and black marketing, conducting more than 3,700 raids and issuing around 1,000 show-cause notices to LPG distributors, with 27 dealerships suspended so far.

An Indian LPG tanker carrying roughly half a day's cooking gas supply has successfully crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz, while another vessel from Iran has reached the port of Mangalore, signalling continued fuel inflows despite regional disruptions.

"LPG vessel Green Sanvi has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, carrying 46,650 tonnes of LPG cargo with 25 seafarers on board," a government statement giving an update on West Asia developments said Saturday.

Green Sanvi is the seventh Indian-flagged LPG tanker to have transited the strategic waterway, which has remained effectively shut since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28 and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.

Separately, an LPG cargo from Iran has arrived at Mangalore and is being discharged, according to the statement.

This perhaps is the first purchase of Iranian energy in seven years.

"LPG vessel Sea Bird carrying around 44,000 tonnes of Iranian LPG berthed at Mangalore, India on April 2 and is currently discharging," the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a post on X. The purchase follows United States last month waiving sanctions on Iranian oil and refined products temporarily to ease prices that have skyrocketed since the start of the Middle East conflict.

After the passage of Green Sanvi, 17 Indian flagged vessels remain stranded on the west side of the strait. Earlier this week, two LPG carriers, BW TYR and BW ELM, carrying combined LPG cargo of about 94,000 tonnes have safely transited the region. While BW TYR reached Mumbai on March 31, BW ELM docked at New Mangalore on April 1.

Prior to that, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers had safely sailed through the strait. Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, carrying 92,612 tonnes of LPG, reached Indian ports between March 26 and March 28.

MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG, had reached Mundra port in Gujarat on March 16 and Kandla port in the state on March 17, respectively.

For a country that relies on imports from the Gulf nations to meet as much as 60 per cent of its cooking gas needs, the arrivals will help ease the worst LPG shortage it is battling in decades. India consumed 33.15 million tonnes of LPG last year, with imports accounting for about 60 per cent of demand. As much as 90 per cent of those imports came from the Middle East.

Originally, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz when the war in West Asia broke. Of these, 24 were on the west side of the Strait and four on the east side. Seven vessels from the west side and two from the east have managed to sail to safety.