<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">A sharp price mismatch between bulk commercial fuel
and retail petroleum networks has triggered a severe diesel shortage across the
Kutch district of Gujarat, stalling operations at India’s two largest maritime
gateways Mundra and Kandla Port. The localized fuel crunch has led to a massive
shift in refueling patterns, forcing thousands of heavy transport fleets to
abandon private industrial "consumer pumps" and rush to public retail
fuel stations, overwhelming local supply networks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">The distribution gridlock has caused container
movement across the Kutch logistics corridor to plummet by nearly 80%, forcing
regional industry groups to threaten formal agitation unless fuel flows are
stabilized. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">According to trade data from the Kandla Mundra
Container Transport Welfare Association, daily export-import (EXIM) container
movement has collapsed from its normal baseline of nearly 5,000 boxes per day
to just 1,000 boxes. The crisis stems directly from recent West Asian
geopolitical tensions, which prompted public-sector oil marketing companies
(OMCs) to pull back standard commercial bulk discounts. As a result, bulk
diesel costs soared to between ₹125 and ₹145 per liter, while public retail
station prices remained steady at approximately ₹95 per liter. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">Faced with an unprecedented premium of up to ₹40 per
liter at private depots, transport syndicates and industrial houses completely
halted bulk procurement, shifting all demand onto public retail pumps. This
sudden demand shift has roiled the regional trade ecosystem: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Retail
Pump Overload:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Public fuel stations allocated fuel
based on static six-month historical sales averages have seen demand
skyrocket by up to 80%, causing dozens of highway and rural stations to
completely exhaust their inventories. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Severe
Port Delays:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> The supply crunch has halted the
operation of critical port-side machinery, including heavy loaders, mobile
cranes, and diesel generator sets. Cargo handlers are now forced to drive
yard vehicles up to 20 kilometers outside port perimeters to secure fuel,
causing extensive vessel turnaround delays and stalling customs
clearances. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Strict
Fuel Rationing:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Highway fuel dealers have
implemented aggressive rationing measures, capping heavy long-distance
trailer fill-ups at just 50 liters against a standard single-trip
requirement of 200 liters, leaving hundreds of trucks stranded on service
roads around Bhachau, Samakhiyali, and Mundra. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">In response to the mounting backlog, the Kutch
district administration has intervened to stabilize the transport corridor. Kutch
District Collector Anil Ranavasiya confirmed that the local government has
directed OMCs to immediately step up supplies and rationalize the steep price
differential penalizing bulk industrial buyers. Simultaneously, administrative
teams have mapped all port-area logistics units and cargo-handling vehicles to
grant them priority allocations from designated retail stations. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Times New Roman",serif">With the Gandhidham Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and the Akhil Gujarat Truck Transport Association warning that the supply
crunch threatens vital supply links to the landlocked northern hinterland,
authorities are working to restore normal bulk-purchase cycles before a June 1
deadline set by the regional transport sector. <o:p></o:p></span></p>