West Asia Crisis: Indian seafarers in Persian Gulf safe, vessel Shivalik arrives today, says Indian govt

LPG Crisis Update: The central government held an inter-ministerial briefing on Monday, the fifth such conference this month, sharing updates on the West Asia conflict and its potential impact on the Indian economy. Officials said that LPG supplies across the country are being closely monitored in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation, with a 36 per cent rise recorded in the domestic production of the cooking gas. Officials also said that online LPG refill bookings have increased from about 84 per cent to around 90 per cent.

They also noted that various state governments are undertaking measures to prevent hoarding and black-marketing in their respective regions. Reiterating that crude oil supplies are available in sufficient quantities, with all refineries continuing to work at full capacity, they said that there are no shortages of petrol or CNG in the country, they said.

Officials once again urged the public not to indulge in panic-buying of petrol and diesel, with sufficient stocks of both fuels being available in the domestic market. No import of petrol or diesel is required to meet domestic demand as the country remains self-sufficient in both fuels, they said.

Add Zee Business as a Preferred Source

The central government's top priority continues to be to ensure uninterrupted domestic LPG supplies, particularly for households and priority sectors such as hospitals and educational institutions. Officials also reiterated that booking intervals across the country have been revised to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas to ensure equitable distribution.

Here are key takeaways from the March 16 briefing:

• There is a sufficient availability of crude oil supplies
• Refineries are operating at full capacity
• No shortages of petrol or CNG
• Education institutions and hospitals are being given priority

• Apart from this, states are deciding their own priorities

• Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Manipur and Maharashtra have issued orders to allocate non-domestic LPG in line with central government guidelines

• State governments are undertaking enforcement measures to prevent hoarding and black-marketing of petrol, diesel and LPG

• Domestic LPG production has increased by 36 per cent vs March 5 levels

• Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased from about 84 per cent to around 90 per cent

• MGL has offered certain incentives

• Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has instructed CGD companies to provide faster connections with some relief measures

• The gas situation is concerning

• It is being closely monitored

• The Delivery Authentication Codes (DAC) situation has improved

• Message delivery has increased to 72 per cent from 53 per cent

• In commercial LPG, the role of state governments is very important

• Monitoring is on through state-level control rooms

• States are carrying out raids to curb gas black-marketing and hoarding

• OMCs have started surprise inspections and raids

• Around 1,100 raids have been conducted so far

• Work at dealerships continued even on Sunday

• The number of helpline and customer care numbers has been increased

Govt's latest advisory to public

• Book cylinders online
• Do not queue up at distributors
• Trust your authorised agency
• Avoid panic-booking

Shipping

• Since February 28, around 2,20,000 passengers have returned from the West Asia and Gulf region to India
• Vessel Shivalik will reach an Indian port by 5 pm on Monday; paperwork at Mundra Port has been completed
  • Cargo discharge will begin as soon as possible

Vessels Shivalik and Nanda Devi began their journey on March 13; they crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14

The vessel Nanda Devi will arrive at Kandla Port on Tuesday

No bilateral talks have taken place regarding sending warships from India

Talks underway on Indian vessels' passage through Strait of Hormuz

• All Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no shipping incident involving Indian seafarers has been reported in the past 24 hours
• 22 Indian-flagged vessels with 611 seafarers remain in the west of the Persian Gulf region
• Around 286 Indian seafarers have so far returned safely
• Discussions on the passage of Indian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz are underway; talks with Iran are continuing
• Ports have been instructed to complete all paperwork in advance
• All Indian vessels in the Strait are safe
• Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) is continuously monitoring the situation and taking action in consultation with stakeholders

• Vessel Jag Laadki is likely to reach Mundra Port by Tuesday
• All ports are monitoring the movement of ships
• Ports are offering concessions on container-related charges
• A review meeting with EXIM stakeholders and ports took place on Monday
• Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) is continuously discussing the maritime situation
• Around 550 Indians have crossed the Armenia-Iran border from Iran
• Visa and related formalities are being completed
• Many among them are pilgrims
• All Indian embassies are working actively

• Indian nationals are continuously being provided safe shelter and other necessary assistance
• Discussions with companies are ongoing to ensure the safety of Indian citizens
• Indians have been urged to follow the advisory
• Centre is in touch with states and Union Territories regarding the safety of Indian citizens and information sharing
• Advisories have been issued
• Continuous assistance is being provided for visas, transit and other support
• Over 2,000 people have returned to India so far
• Flights at Dubai International Airport are operating in a limited manner
• Talks with the local administration are on
• Passengers are being urged to stay in contact with airlines, embassies and consulates for updates
• Three flights are operating from Doha in Qatar to India on Monday
• One flight is operating from Kuwait City in Kuwait to India
• In cases where the airspace is closed, guidance is being provided to enable the individuals to reach the nearest accessible locations for onward travel
• Efforts are underway to ensure the safe return of 250 sailors on the vessel Vishnu; they are currently safe in a hotel in Basra

• No bilateral talks have taken place with India regarding the deployment of warships

Total 22 ships, 6 carrying LPG

• There are a total of 22 ships

  • 6 are loaded with LPG

  • 3 are in dry dock for maintenance

  • 1 is empty and will return

  • The remaining ships are carrying chemicals and other products

No consideration of a refinery price cap for now

No shortage of LNG

Efforts underway to procure supplies from all possible sources

Bunkering activities in the shipping sector are currently not taking place

Daily discussions are held at 12 pm with all stakeholders, including ports and exporters

All ports are monitoring cargo management and movement

Containers from the Middle East are being given priority parking

Separate arrangements in place for refrigerated containers

Additional preparedness measures in place for the next 5 days

2,600 container movements recorded over the past 5 days

Instructions issued to ensure no port levies any additional charges