Department of Transportation Intervenes to Address Diesel Supply Disruptions, Wider Fuel and Energy Network Vulnerabilities Emerge

Fuel Shortages Threaten Telecom Network Continuity Amid Iran War

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed regional heads to coordinate with states to ensure uninterrupted diesel availability for mobile towers, as fuel shortages arise out of the Iran war. The move aims to avoid disruptions in telecom services, particularly in areas with unreliable grid power.

In a communication, Amar Relan, Deputy Director General (Electrical), flagged that restrictions on the sale of diesel in drums in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh have disrupted supplies to field teams. This is affecting tower operations that depend on diesel-based generator (DG) sets.

The DoT has requested all Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) to assess the ground situation, take up the matter with concerned state/UT authorities on priority, and facilitate necessary directions at the field level to ensure uninterrupted diesel supply for DG sets at telecom sites.

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Some states, including Gujarat, have already granted relief. The DoT has called for a coordinated approach across LSAs, the department's regional field units under the communications ministry, to ensure continuity of services.

The move follows representations from the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), which has warned of wider risks to telecom infrastructure. Apart from diesel constraints, the industry body flagged disruptions in the manufacturing supply chain after LPG supplies to tower making units were halted following a government order restricting the use to domestic consumers.

Fuel supply issues linked to diesel restrictions have been reported across states and union territories, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

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DIPA, which represents infrastructure providers serving Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, and BSNL/MTNL, cautioned that geopolitical developments have increased volatility in global crude markets, raising the risk of further disruptions in diesel supply and pricing.

In an April 9 letter to the power ministry, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), and the DoT, DIPA Director General Manoj Kumar Singh said any disruption in diesel availability could hit telecom network continuity. Mobile towers and IP-Is rely significantly on diesel-based DG sets during grid outages.

The association has urged authorities to prioritise power supply to telecom sites and grant essential services status to infrastructure providers and telecom operators to ensure faster restoration during outages.

In a separate letter, DIPA said LPG supplies to tower manufacturing partners were stopped from March 5, following the petroleum and natural gas ministry order restricting LPG use to domestic consumers. This has disrupted galvanisation (GI) operations—largely LPG/LNG-based — with units operating on low-flame mode to maintain molten zinc. Prolonged disruption could lead to plant shutdowns, delaying restarts and impacting tower manufacturing and rollout, especially in underserved areas.

DIPA has urged the government to grant exemptions and restore LPG/LNG supplies to telecom tower manufacturing units at the earliest.