Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on the citizens to make a restrained use of petroleum products as tensions in West Asia have caused a supply disruption.
Speaking at a project inauguration event in Telangana, PM Modi stressed the need for judicious use of petrol, diesel, gas and other petroleum products as India largely imports them.
He said, "Today, the need of the hour is also to use petrol, gas, diesel and such things with great restraint. We have to use imported petro products only as needed. This will not only save foreign exchange but reduce the adverse impact of war," Modi said.
The supply disruption due to the Strait of Hormuz closure by Iran, followed by the US blockade, has pushed India and the rest of Asia towards an energy crunch.
The prime minister's 'only as needed' advice for the use of petroleum products is a push towards renewable and alternative sources of energy.
He also underscored India's rapid progress in renewable and alternative energy and highlighted the country's emergence among the world's leading nations in solar power generation.
He also lauded India's efforts to mix ethanol in petrol to cut foreign dependence on fuel. Outlining the government's strategy for domestic cooking fuel, the prime minister said that the initial focus was on achieving the universal LPG coverage, but now it has shifted to expanding the piped gas supply.
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PM Modi also said that his government at the Centre is actively promoting a CNG-based ecosystem to diversify energy sources.
Projects inaugurated in Telangana
PM Modi inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 9,400 crore in Telangana. Among the projects were the four-laning of National Highway-167 from Gudebellur to Mahabubnagar on the Hyderabad–Panaji Economic Corridor and the development of the Zaheerabad Industrial Area in Sangareddy district.
The prime minister also inaugurated multiple infrastructure projects, including a section of the Kazipet–Vijayawada railway multi-tracking project, Oil and Lubricants (POL) Terminal in Hyderabad, a Greenfield Petroleum, the Kazipet Rail Under Rail Bypass, and the PM MITRA Park at Warangal.