There is no issues with supply of fuel – petrol or diesel - in Kerala, said Venkataraman Iyer, State head, Retail, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
The rush to the petrol stations across the State is only a fear factor that it would be in short supply. All supply points are working well. The only issue is that many petrol pumps are submerged.
The petrol pumps that had become submerged would take time to get functional as it needs to be cleaned and recaliberated to be ready to supply fuel, said BPCL official.
The Indian Oil Corporation marketing personnel also told The Hindu that there are no problems in supply of fuel. “A lot of requests have come for fuel for generators that had become operational as KSEB had switched off the connections. We are giving fuel to all, there is no shortage at all,” said the official.
Mr. Iyer said that except for the fact that some of the lorries that had taken the fuel to the destinations had not reported back, there is no let up in supply of petroleum products.
Spokesperson of BPCL said the floods have not affected the production at the refinery at all.
People had perhaps got panicky as vehicles that have gone dry in flood affected areas could not be refilled.
The only issue that the refinery had faced during the floods is that the stand alone water pump house in Edamuga on the Periyar bank was submerged. The water scheme provides the water for operational use in the refinery. But the refinery also has a water storage capacity that can see through four days of operation. The BPCL management had already taken steps to replenish the water shortage if any, according to the spokesman.
Lorry movement hit
Lorry movement to Thiruvananthapuram area was affected on Friday morning as traffic was regulated at Thottappilly in Alappuzha.
A BPCL official said that there is a small regulation in Thrissur district was brought in as the road to the district is cut-off at Aluva on the Kochi side and Kudiran on the Palakkad side.
