Fuel crisis hits Sylhet ahead of irrigation time

January 25, 2014

Sylhet Correspondent :
An acute shortage of fuel, especially diesel, has gripped the Sylhet region ahead of the upcoming irrigation season.
The farmers and filling staions are bracing for the crisis. The outlets of different oil companies in the city are now wearing a deserted look as the faced the risk of running out of stocks. The oil trading corporations Padma, Meghna and Jamuna failed to bring the fuel from Sylhet due to crisis of rail wagon.
Filling station owners said, the crisis of diesel started in almost two weeks back, but it has become acute since the last week. The stock of diesel in depots is almost finished. So, most of the stations would have to stop selling diesel within next two days.
It is gathered that in Sylhet district, there is a demand of 45, 00000 liters diesel per 15 days but oil suppliers cannot bring diesel from Sylhet due to the shortage of rail facilities. So the traders are not being able to meet half of this demand. In this situation both traders and farmers are suffering a lot. The farmers of Sylhet have become uncertain about good cultivation of crops in this Boro season as they cannot irrigate their fields due to fuel crisis during the peak irrigation time.
Meghna Oil Company’s Marketing Officer of Sylhet District, Jamal Abdul Naser, said that the transportation of diesel from Sylhet to Sylhet remained halted in last few days due to the shortage of Rail engines and wagons. But we are trying to solve this matter through other alternatives.’
Padma Oil Company’s Sylhet District Marketing Executive, Mujibur Rahman said, ‘At present demand for about 1000000 liters diesel per month remains unfulfilled in Sylhet. Though the transportation by waterway was easier in rainy season but now the rivers in the region have gone dry, making them un-navigable. So, diesel cannot be transported by rivers in this peak season.’
A leader of Sylhet Petrol Pump Owners Association, Foyjul Islam Masuk said, ‘Diesel crisis have become acute in Sylhet. Half of the diesel demanded in Sylhet cannot be fulfilled at this time. So the traders are suffering and the crisis is getting worse everyday.’
Sylhet Railway Station Master, Muhibur Rahman, said that a diesel carrying wagon would reach Sylhet in 2 days; then the situation would improve substantially.