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India's fuel demand falls sharply in April amid lockdown to curb spread of coronavirus

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: May 09, 2020, 08:49 AM IST
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File photo: A vehicle waits to be filled up with diesel at a petrol station in New Delhi, India, January 5. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Consumption of fuel totalled 9.93 million tonnes - its lowest since 2007, government data showed on Saturday.

India's fuel demand dipped 45.8% in April from a year earlier, as economic activity came to a halt due to nationwide lockdown and travel curbs to combat the spread of novel coronavirus.

Consumption of fuel totalled 9.93 million tonnes - its lowest since 2007, government data showed on Saturday.

State fuel retailers in India sold 50% less refined fuel in the first two weeks of April than the same time a year earlier as the country came to a standstill due to the lockdown that was put in place on March 24.

The government last week extended the lockdown until May 17, with some relaxations in lower-risk areas, although travel by air, rail and metro and inter-state movement of people by road was still banned.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest report said India's annual fuel consumption will decline by 5.6% in 2020 compared with growth of 2.4% forecast in its March report.

Consumption of diesel, which is widely used for transportation as well as for irrigation needs in India, was down about 55.6% year-over-year at 3.25 million tonnes.

(With inputs from Reuters)