The only fuel
that showed growth was LPG as the government dole of free cooking gas cylinders
to poor households fired up consumption by 21 per cent during April 1 to 15.

Illustration: Uttam
Ghosh
India's fuel consumption
slumped by a record 50 per cent in April as all petroleum products except LPG
saw massive demand erosion following a nationwide lockdown halted economic
activity and travel.
According to provisional
industry data for fuel consumption in the first half of April, petrol sales
were down 64 per cent, while diesel slumped by 61 per cent.
Aviation
turbine fuel (ATF) consumption collapsed by 94 per cent as most airlines have
stopped flying.
The
only fuel that showed growth was LPG as the government dole of free cooking gas
cylinders to poor households fired up consumption by 21 per cent during April 1
to 15, the data showed.
Overall the decline in
petroleum product sales was 50 per cent, it said.
The data pertains to sales
made by three public sector (PSU) oil marketing companies. Private firms such
as Nayara Energy do not share mid-month sales trend and their numbers get
reflected only in the monthly consumption numbers released by the oil ministry
in the second week of every month.
Industry officials said
this is the biggest ever drop in sales and the first data for the complete
lockdown period.
March sales numbers were
released last week but this included consumption in the pre-lockdown period as
well.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi had announced a 21-day lockdown beginning March 25, shutting offices and
factories, barring those involved in essential services.
Also, flights were
suspended, trains stopped plying, vehicles went off the road and cargo movement
stopped as most people were asked to stay home to help check the spread of
coronavirus.
The lockdown was earlier
this week extended till May 3.
India had consumed 2.4
million tonnes of petrol and 7.3 million tonnes of diesel in April 2019.
As much as 645,000 tonnes
of ATF was used in that month last year.
In March 2020, the
country's petroleum product consumption fell 17.79 per cent to 16.08 million
tonnes.
Diesel, the most consumed
fuel in the country, saw demand contract by 24.23 per cent to 5.65 million
tonnes.
This is the biggest fall in
diesel consumption the country has recorded as most trucks went off-road and
railways stopped plying trains.
Petrol sales dropped 16.37
per cent to 2.15 million tonnes, while ATF consumption fell 32.4 per cent to
484,000 tonnes. However, LPG sales rose 1.9 per cent to 2.3 million tonnes in
March.
Officials said petrol and
diesel consumption is likely to pick up in the second half of the month as the
government has allowed trucks to ply as well as farmers and industries in rural
areas to resume operations after April 20.
Besides inter and
intra-state movement of goods traffic by road as well as rail, vehicles used by
e-commerce operators will also be on-road from April 20.
Also, farming operations,
as well as industries outside municipal limits, have also been allowed to
operate from April 20.
Besides, road construction
and resumption of work on projects in industrial clusters have been allowed.
All these will involve fuel
consumption, they said.
As part of a plan to exit
the world's biggest lockdown and revive stalled economic activity, the
government on Wednesday allowed makers of information technology hardware,
farmers and industries in rural areas to resume operations after April 20.
From April 20, the government
will lift restrictions on e-commerce companies, goods movement by roads and
restart port and air cargo operations.
Factories beyond municipal
limits, including those in the food processing industry, mining, packaging
material, oil and gas exploration, and refineries will be allowed to operate.
Road construction,
irrigation projects, construction work and projects in industrial areas such as
SEZ and EoUs will be allowed to function.
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