In the first fortnight of March, petrol sales declined by 1.4 per cent year-on-year to 1.22 million tonnes. Sales fell 0.5 percent on a monthly basis. Sales of diesel, the most used fuel in the country, declined by about 10.2 per cent year-on-year to 3.18 million tonnes during March 1-15.
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Petrol and Diesel Demand: There has been a decline in fuel demand in the country in the first fortnight of March. Earlier in February, there was a sharp jump in the demand for petrol and diesel. This information has been received from the initial figures of the industry that came on Thursday. Fuel sales reached a high level in February due to increase in demand in the agriculture sector and increase in transportation. On the other hand, due to increase in temperature in March, it has softened.
Petrol and diesel demand decreased as compared to February
According to the data, in the first fortnight of March, petrol sales declined by 1.4 per cent year-on-year to 1.22 million tonnes. Sales fell 0.5 percent on a monthly basis. Sales of diesel, the most used fuel in the country, declined by about 10.2 per cent year-on-year to 3.18 million tonnes during March 1-15. It was 35.4 lakh tonnes in the same period a year ago. On a monthly basis, the demand has decreased by 4.6 percent. In the first fortnight of February, the consumption of petrol had increased by about 18 percent on an annual basis, while the demand for diesel had increased by about 25 percent.
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This was the situation in 2021 and 2020
Petrol demand in the first fortnight of March is higher by 16.4 per cent as compared to the first fortnight of March, 2021 affected by Kovid and by about 23 per cent as compared to the same period of 2020. On the other hand, the demand for diesel is 11.5 percent more than the first fortnight of March 2021 and 20.2 percent more than the same period of 2020. With the end of Kovid-19 related restrictions, the demand for fuel in the country is increasing continuously.
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Increase in demand for ATF
In the period under review, the sale of cooking gas declined by 9.7 percent on an annual basis to 1.18 million tonnes. However, compared to March 2021, consumption has increased by 7.1 percent. On a monthly basis, the demand for LPG has decreased by 15.10 percent. Aviation fuel ie ATF sales stood at 2,94,900 tonnes with a jump of 19.2 per cent in the first fortnight of March. This is 35.6 percent more than in March 2021. However, compared to the first fortnight of March 2020, it is 8.2 percent less.
