The central government has announced an all-party meeting on March 25, at 5 pm, to discuss the West Asia conflict's impact on India's energy security, trade routes, and overall preparedness.
An energy lockdown is likely to be announced in India. The energy lockdown or lockdown-like situation started to trend in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speeches in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the Middle East conflict, recalled the COVID-19 pandemic and associated global supply chain disruptions. The energy lockdown might be announced today after the all-party meeting. In this energy lockdown, the government might announce fuel rationing measures that could include work-from-home and vehicular movement restrictions.
What will be the situation in India if an energy lockdown is announced?
Vehicular movement and transportation might be affected as the energy lockdown leads to fuel rationing.
The government might announce work-from-home guidelines for employees in the public and private sectors.
Schools and colleges might be asked to go back to teaching online and conducting online classes.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) dates have been announced, the government might not allow spectators to visit the stadium for matches.
The government might advise people to avoid non-essential travel.
Current Situation in India:
- People across several states are waiting in kilometers-long queues to fill gas in their vehicles at the gas stations.
- LPG gas cylinder supply: In several cities, residents are facing delivery delays, long queues, and even a temporary halt on new LPG connections. In many areas, people are waiting for days to receive cylinders, while black-market prices have sharply increased.
- Hotels and food joints are unable to run their businesses as they do not have cooking gas to prepare and serve meals to their customers.
- To manage the situation, the government has prioritised domestic consumption over exports and reduced gas supply to industries to conserve fuel. It has also ramped up LPG production, redirected shipments, and urged citizens not to engage in panic buying.
Fuel Rationing Begins Globally
- Governments across different countries are prioritising demand reduction, rationing, and some are exploring alternatives like biofuels. Here are key examples from recent reports (focusing on implemented actions; measures can evolve quickly):
- South and Southeast Asia (heavily impacted as major importers)
- Sri Lanka: Four-day workweek; mandatory public holidays for schools, universities, and non-essential government staff; weekly petrol limit of 15 litres per private vehicle via QR-code national fuel pass.
- Bangladesh: All educational institutions shifted online; five-hour daily rotational power cuts for households (to protect export industries like textiles); strict fuel rationing (e.g., motorcycles limited to 2 litres/day, cars with daily quotas) and monitoring of pumps to stop hoarding.
- Pakistan: Four-day workweek for government employees; 50% cut in departmental fuel allocations; temporary school closures and encouragement of remote work.
- Philippines: Four-day workweek for civil servants (aiming to cut government energy use by ~20%); non-essential official travel banned; offices must switch off computers during lunch and keep AC no lower than 24°C (75°F).
- Vietnam: Strong push for businesses to enable remote work and citizens to use public transport; special task force monitoring fuel; promotion of biofuels.
- Thailand: Officials urged to take stairs instead of elevators; fuel exports halted to protect reserves; price supports for households.
- Myanmar: Odd-even fuel rationing based on vehicle plates; many petrol pumps closed.
- East Asia
- Japan: Released ~45 days' worth of oil from strategic reserves to stabilise prices.
- South Korea: Coordinated release of millions of barrels from reserves as part of IEA effort.
- Middle East/Africa
- Egypt: Malls and restaurants must close by 9 pm; government buildings by 6 pm; advertising billboards, lights switched off.
- Bhutan: Sales of fuel in jerry cans are banned to prevent hoarding; prioritised rationing for emergency services.
- Kenya: Fuel exports banned; direct rationing introduced.
- South Africa: Industry-wide controlled diesel allocation to prevent panic buying.
In the United States, the focus has been on price increases (e.g., +80 cents/gallon in some areas) and potential strategic reserve releases, with less direct rationing so far.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to chair today's all-party meeting, whereas External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to attend. The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Parliament about the situation.
Report by Lokmat Times

No comments:
Post a Comment