NEW DELHI: India’s overall fuel consumption tanked, the sharpest fall in more than a decade, in March as the lockdown against coronavirus spread put curbs on economic activity across sectors. But consumption of LPG bucked the trend by rising nearly 2% as families remained confined to their homes.
Official data released on Thursday showed overall fuel consumption falling to 16 million tonnes, or 18%, as most of the trucks, buses, cars and two-wheelers went off the road, construction activities ground to a halt, railway and air services were suspended — except trains and flights carrying essential items. Sale of diesel, the most-consumed fuel, fell by over 24% to nearly 5.7 million tonnes, the biggest decline so far. Petrol sales dropped over 16% to just over 2 million tonnes, while jet fuel consumption dipped by 90%.
