India assures adequate fuel supply, monitors seafarer safety amid West Asia tensions
New Delhi, March 15. The Government of India on March 15 said it has taken extensive measures to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply, safeguard Indian seafarers and citizens abroad, and maintain smooth maritime operations in view of the evolving situation in West Asia.
According to an update issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India’s refineries are operating at high capacity and maintaining adequate crude inventories, while the country remains self-sufficient in the production of petrol and diesel to meet domestic demand. No incidents of fuel shortages have been reported at retail outlets operated by oil marketing companies.
The government urged citizens not to engage in panic buying, stressing that sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel are available across the country.
Gas supplies to priority sectors such as piped natural gas (PNG) households and compressed natural gas (CNG) transport remain fully protected, while supply to industrial and commercial consumers has been regulated to about 80 percent. Commercial LPG users in major cities have been encouraged to shift to PNG connections, and a review meeting with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board and city gas distribution companies was held on March 14 to assess PNG expansion and LPG-to-PNG conversions.
LPG supplies are being closely monitored, with no shortages reported at distributorships. Bookings have declined to around 7.7 million on March 14 from 8.88 million the previous day, while online bookings have risen to nearly 87 percent. Commercial LPG cylinders have been made available to consumers across 30 states and union territories for priority distribution.
Several state governments have convened high-level meetings to monitor supplies of petrol, diesel and LPG, prevent hoarding and curb panic booking. Control rooms have been set up in 22 states and union territories, and enforcement agencies have carried out raids in places such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar to check black marketing. Officials of public sector oil marketing companies are also conducting surprise inspections at LPG distributorships.
The Centre said domestic LPG production from refineries has been maximised and supply-management measures implemented to prioritise households and essential sectors including hospitals and educational institutions. Under an amendment to the LPG Control Order issued on March 14, consumers with PNG connections must surrender their domestic LPG connections and new LPG connections will not be issued to PNG users.
Authorities have also rationalised LPG booking intervals to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas to ensure equitable distribution. States and union territories have been given an additional allocation of 48,000 kilolitres of kerosene, while alternate fuels such as kerosene and coal are being promoted for certain commercial sectors to reduce pressure on LPG supplies.
Meanwhile, maritime authorities are closely monitoring the safety of Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region. The Directorate General of Shipping said all Indian seafarers in the area are safe and no shipping incident involving them has been reported in the past 24 hours.
An Indian-flagged vessel, Jag Laadki, which was loading crude at the Fujairah oil terminal when the facility was attacked on March 14, sailed safely carrying about 80,800 metric tonnes of Murban crude oil and is bound for India. The ship and its crew are safe.
Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers – Shivalik and Nanda Devi – carrying nearly 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG are currently en route to India after crossing the Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Mundra and Kandla ports on March 16 and 17 respectively.
At present, 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 seafarers remain west of the Persian Gulf region. The DG Shipping control room has handled nearly 3,000 phone calls and over 5,300 emails from seafarers and their families seeking assistance. So far, 276 Indian seafarers have been safely repatriated from the Gulf region, including 23 in the past 24 hours.
The government also said the safety of Indian nationals in West Asia remains its highest priority. A dedicated control room of the Ministry of External Affairs is operating round the clock, while Indian missions across the region are running 24-hour helplines, maintaining contact with the Indian community and coordinating with local authorities.
Since February 28, about 194,000 passengers have returned to India from the region. Flights continue to operate on revised schedules from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Oman, while limited services from Qatar are partially operational. For Indian nationals in Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq – where airspace remains closed – transit through Saudi Arabia is being facilitated.
The government said five Indian nationals have lost their lives in earlier incidents related to the ongoing conflict, while one Indian national remains missing. Indian missions in Oman, Iraq and the UAE are in touch with local authorities regarding the missing person and arrangements for repatriation of the mortal remains of the deceased.
The Centre said coordination among ministries, state governments and relevant agencies will continue to ensure preparedness across critical sectors while safeguarding national interests.
