Shillong, Aug 23: A day after panic buying triggered by the border blockade, queues for petrol were still seen across Shillong on Sunday, while several pumps continued to display ‘No Petrol’ boards.
After the violence during the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) rally on August 19 and the subsequent blockade at Jorabat and Lad Umroi, fuel tankers from Assam were stranded for two days, leading to dry pumps and massive rush since Friday.
Hundreds of two-wheelers and cars queued up at pumps in Laitumkhrah, Police Bazaar, Mawlai, Nongthymmai and Jowai Road on Saturday, with most pumps running out of stock by evening.
Though the blockade at Jorabat was lifted Sunday morning after the meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora and the subsequent meeting with taxi associations, supply is yet to fully normalise.
While some pumps received fresh tankers on Sunday afternoon, many others are still awaiting supply. As a result, long queues were seen at pumps that have fuel, while others continued to put up ‘No Petrol’ signboards.
