Oil tankers arrive with fuel, crisis in city set to end today
Chennai   31-May-2012

Singed by a severe fuel crisis over six sweltering days, the city on Tuesday finally saw hope arrive by sea, with two tankers carrying diesel and petrol docking at the Chennai port on Tuesday and a third set to steam in on Wednesday.

As the first IndianOil vessel, with 26,000 kilolitres of diesel, reached the city before noon on Tuesday and began offloading its consignment, chief minister J Jayalalithaa convened a meeting of officials and later said retail supply of fuel would resume by midnight.

Fuel will be pumped out of the second vessel, loaded with petrol and 18,000 kilolitres of diesel, from early Wednesday morning. Oil company officials said fuel supply would return to normal by Wednesday evening.

Chennai port officials said the third tanker, carrying 6,000 kilolitres of diesel, would berth by Wednesday evening. "Since the port has only one berth to receive consignments of oil, fuel from only one vessel can be unloaded at a time," a port official said. The chief minister said 2,000 kilolitres of diesel would also be brought to the city from Bangalore by road. "IndianOil and HPCL are also taking steps to distribute petrol and diesel to all city and suburban areas," Jayalalithaa said.

The tankers will bring a total of 67, 000 kilolitres of petrol and diesel to the city.

IndianOil ED V K Jayachandran said supply of fuel would be restored with the diesel from the oil tankers . "Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd, one of the primary suppliers to the city, is maintaining normal production and oil companies will work extended hours this week and, if required, on Sunday to ensure that fuel is supplied across the city," he said.

After six straight days without petrol and an unprecedented shortage of petrol, prices of essential commodities and vegetables threatened to spiral out of control on Tuesday. Several localities dependent on water supply by tanker lorries were left without drinking water and regular life was hit in the city.

Private transport agencies limited operations and small businesses dependent on generators were severely affected, but queues outside petrol bunks began to grow smaller by the evening as dealers received stock from oil companies.