A severe diesel shortage has gripped the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat for the fourth consecutive day, causing widespread disruption to transportation, agriculture, and port operations. Long queues of tractors and vehicles have clogged roads, while farmers and transporters struggle to obtain fuel.
Transport and Port Operations Hit Hard
Transporters at Kandla Port and Mundra Port report a drastic drop in cargo movement. Bhagirathsinh Jadeja, president of the Kandla Mundra Container Transport Welfare Association, stated that container movement has fallen from around 5,000 to 1,000 per day due to diesel unavailability. He added that fuel supply only starts arriving after noon, with no supply from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Movement of smaller commercial vehicles carrying coal, salt, machinery, and liquid cargo has reportedly dropped to 25% of normal levels.
Service roads near Gandhidham in Kutch are severely congested as trucks unable to get fuel at highway pumps move into the city. The All India Transporters' Welfare Association (AITWA) has issued an advisory warning about severe diesel supply disruptions in multiple regions, urging companies not to impose penalties on affected transporters.
Custom house agent Aashish Joshi noted that the export-import business has been disrupted, compounded by existing disturbances due to the war. In Rajkot, truckers association officebearer Hasubhai Bhagdev said trucks are burning fuel while waiting in queues for limited diesel, and drivers are reluctant to take long-distance deliveries. Rajkot district has nearly 5,000 trucks involved in transporting engineering goods, machine tools, food commodities, and industrial materials. Transporters said idle trucks continue to generate fixed operational costs even when business activity slows.
Rajkot District Collector Om Prakash claimed there is 46% diesel stock and 34% petrol stock available at fuel stations, and instructed oil marketing companies to take immediate action.
Farmers Protest the Shortage
The situation has sparked anger among farmers. In Amreli district, farmers blocked the Pipavav-Rajula highway by parking tractors on the road in protest. Farmers reported struggling for nearly five days to obtain diesel, spending hours in queues without certainty of getting fuel. Farmer Manubhai Nakum said he waited for five hours since early morning, and after 10 to 12 hours, still did not get sufficient fuel. Another farmer said he had been in the queue since 2 a.m., and some people were allowed fuel out of turn.
A petrol pump in Dhrol town of Jamnagar had to seek police help after clashes between farmers and staff. A video on social media showed a frustrated farmer smashing a canister after allegedly failing to obtain diesel.
Why PSU Fuel Pumps Are Seeing Long Queues
Oil marketing companies (OMCs) deny an actual diesel shortage, attributing the rush to a sharp shift in buying patterns. Sanjib Behera stated that diesel demand at PSU-operated pumps has surged by nearly 80% compared to last year as bulk consumers shift from private depots to PSU outlets due to a steep price difference. Diesel at bulk depots is currently costlier by Rs 35 to Rs 40 per litre, with prices ranging between Rs 125 and Rs 140 per litre. This gap has triggered heavy demand at PSU pumps, leading to long queues and temporary supply strain in parts of Saurashtra. Behera expects the situation to normalise within the next couple of days.
