Prayagraj Fuel Crisis: Panic Buying Triggers Massive Queues at Petrol Pumps — Sulem Sarai and jhunsi & Prayagraj City Pumps Run Dry
Report & Video: Vijay Mishra, Prayagraj Correspondent, Uttar Pradesh | March 26, 2026
Long queues of vehicles stretched for hundreds of metres at petrol pumps across Prayagraj and Sulem Sarai on Wednesday evening and into Thursday as rumours of a severe fuel shortage swept through the city on social media. The scenes — two-wheelers, four-wheelers and even tractors lined up bumper-to-bumper under the blazing evening sun — were reminiscent of wartime rationing, and they were triggered not by an actual shortage, but by fear.
The chaos is a direct fallout of the ongoing US-Iran War 2026, which has rattled global oil markets and sparked deep anxiety among ordinary Indians about the availability and affordability of petrol and diesel.
How It All Started — A Rumour That Spread Like Wildfire
According to reports, the trouble began around 4 PM on Wednesday when rumours began circulating on WhatsApp groups and social media platforms that petrol supply across Prayagraj had been “almost completely halted.” Within minutes, the message spread from the city centre to the outskirts — reaching Jhusi, Naini, and surrounding areas. People dropped whatever they were doing and rushed to the nearest petrol pump.
By 9 PM, the queues had grown dramatically. Two-wheelers and cars formed serpentine lines at every operating pump across the city. Those who could not find fuel in the main city drove out to Sulem Sarai — crossing the Ganga — only to find equally long queues there. The petrol pump next to Jhusi Thana ran out of stock by early afternoon itself. By 11 PM, three pumps in the Sulem Sarai still had crowds waiting. Pumps in Rahimpur, Malava, Hanumanganj, and Sahaso also reported overwhelming rush.
Ground Reality: Video Evidence From Sulem Sarai
A video recorded from Sulem Sarai , Prayagraj on the evening of March 26, 2026 — which has been shared widely — shows visuals of a densely packed petrol pump with vehicles lined up in multiple rows, people arguing over their turn, and pump attendants struggling to manage the crowd. The scenes capture the raw anxiety of citizens who fear that the war in the Middle East will soon cut off India’s fuel supply. This is not panic that can be dismissed easily — it is the lived experience of ordinary families caught between global geopolitics and daily survival.
Prayagraj Was Not Alone — All of UP Hit
The Prayagraj fuel panic was part of a much wider crisis across Uttar Pradesh. In Lucknow, multiple petrol pumps had to shut down after running out of stock, with “Petrol Unavailable” boards visible across the city. Vehicles waited 1–2 hours in queues in Lucknow’s various localities. In Basti, UP, a journalist covering the fuel shortage at a petrol pump was reportedly assaulted by a pump employee — a shocking reflection of how tense the situation on the ground has become. Similar scenes were reported from Shravasti, where the crowd at petrol pumps became uncontrollable as panic buying intensified.
Why Are People So Scared? The US-Iran War Connection
The fear gripping Prayagraj and UP is not unfounded in its broader context. The ongoing US-Iran War has caused:
- Brent crude oil to spike to $110–$120 per barrel
- India’s strategic oil reserves standing at only 25 days’ supply
- LPG domestic cylinder prices to rise by ₹60 per cylinder in recent weeks
- Premium petrol prices hiked by ₹2.09–₹2.35 per litre from March 20 onward by HPCL, BPCL, and IOCL
- The Strait of Hormuz — through which India’s Gulf oil passes — partially disrupted
On top of this, PM Narendra Modi called an online meeting with all Chief Ministers on March 26 to discuss the fuel crisis and West Asia war fallout — an announcement that further fuelled public anxiety and was widely interpreted as confirmation that the situation was serious.
What the Authorities Are Saying
Despite the panic on the ground, officials and petroleum companies have maintained that there is no actual shortage of petrol or diesel in Uttar Pradesh.
- Petroleum companies (IOC, BPCL, HPCL) issued statements saying the crisis is driven purely by sudden surge in demand, not supply disruption
- Prayagraj Administration urged citizens: “Do not panic. Do not hoard fuel. Supply is being maintained and tankers are being dispatched to all affected pumps”
- UP Administration stated that wherever stock had run out, fresh tanker supplies were being rushed on priority
- The authorities warned that hoarding and panic buying are themselves creating artificial shortages and appealed to citizens to fill only their immediate needs
The Nawabganj Reality — A Genuine Supply Issue
However, not all of Uttar Pradesh’s fuel problem is just a rumour. In Nawabganj area of Prayagraj, there is a genuine, pre-existing supply disruption. A petrol pump dealer confirmed that fuel stock had run out since the evening of March 17 — over a week before the panic — due to disruption in supplies from the main depot. The dealer stated there was no clear timeline for restoration of supply. This suggests that while the city-wide panic is rumour-driven, pockets of genuine shortage do exist — and they are not being adequately addressed.
Fuel Prices in UP Today (March 26, 2026)
| City | Petrol (per litre) | Diesel (per litre) |
|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | ₹94.69 | ₹87.81 |
| Prayagraj | ~₹94–₹95 | ~₹87–₹88 |
| Jaipur | ₹104.69 | ₹90.18 |
| Pune | ₹104.36 | ₹90.88 |
Regular petrol prices remain unchanged as of today; only premium variants have been hiked.
Government Invokes Essential Commodities Act
In a significant development, the Central Government invoked the Essential Commodities Act on March 9, 2026, giving it the authority to prioritise the distribution of natural gas and petroleum products across sectors. Under this, refineries have been directed to divert propane and butane away from petrochemical production and exclusively towards cooking gas (LPG) manufacturing to prevent a domestic cooking fuel crisis.
What Citizens Should Do Right Now
Based on official guidance and ground reports, here is what the people of Prayagraj and UP should keep in mind:
- Do not panic buy — filling more than your tank’s capacity worsens the shortage for everyone
- Check official sources — rely on UP government and petroleum company announcements, not WhatsApp forwards
- Wait for tanker replenishment — most pumps are being restocked within a few hours of running dry
- Report hoarding — if you see jerry cans or bulk unofficial storage, report it to local police
- Use public transport where possible to reduce personal fuel demand during this period
The Bigger Picture
What happened in Prayagraj today is a microcosm of the anxiety spreading across India. A war being fought thousands of kilometres away in the skies over Iran and the waters of the Persian Gulf is being felt in the queues at a petrol pump in Jhusi. This is the uncomfortable truth of India’s energy dependence — that geopolitical shocks translate almost instantly into the daily life of a common Indian.
The government must use this moment not just to manage the immediate crisis, but to fast-track India’s transition to energy independence — through solar, green hydrogen, and domestic oil exploration — so that the next Middle East war does not send ordinary Indians scrambling for fuel in the dead of night.