Delhi residents resort to panic buying, hoarding of essentials

Amid rising Indo-Pak tensions, Delhi residents are stocking up on essentials, prompting officials to urge against hoarding and ensure supply stability.

With border tensions escalating between India and Pakistan, worries residents in several neighbourhoods across Delhi are making a beeline for grocery shops, pharmacies, and online platforms, stocking up on dry rations, medicines, and essential household items amid fears of supply disruptions. The wave of anxiety has surged over the past three days, prompting authorities to issue reassurances and urge people not to hoard.

Long queues at a fuel station in Geeta Colony on Friday. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

“There is no need to hoard rations or food items in Delhi. There is no advisory regarding a shutdown,” the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) clarified on Friday, seeking to quell public anxiety.

Still, local shopkeepers report a sharp uptick in footfall and bulk buying. Harish Malik, owner of HM Morning Stores in Greater Kailash-I, said he has witnessed a clear surge in sales. “For two days now, people have been buying a lot of spices, cooking oil, flour… I’ve asked my supplier to increase stock. Many customers took five to ten kilos of flour and up to ten litres of oil. I think everyone is scared because of the Indo-Pak tensions.”

In south Delhi’s Kailash Colony, Manoj Gupta, owner of Gupta Departmental Store, echoed similar concerns. “It’s not frenzied, but customers are definitely hoarding rations for two to three months. Most are buying pulses and rice. I’ve had to order extra stock from suppliers to meet demand. There’s enough ration for everyone, but yes, buying in bulk has gone up.”

In several parts of the city, residents are also prioritising medical preparedness. Meena Singh, a Dwarka resident, said her children—who live outside Delhi—urged her to secure at least a month’s worth of her regular medicines. “I also tried to order some basic necessities such as torches online, but all e-commerce platforms showed ‘sold out’. That’s when I realised others must be doing the same.”

A spot check by HT across four instant delivery platforms on Friday evening confirmed this. Torches were listed as out of stock across all of them.

At a pharmacy near ITO, store owner Sawan Kumar said he noticed an uptick in bulk medicine purchases. “People are buying five to six packs of diabetes, blood pressure, and pain medication. Normally, some customers do buy in advance, so I didn’t suspect anything at first. But now it seems likely that it’s linked to the current situation.”

Still, not all areas are witnessing panic buying. Pawan Kumar, owner of Kiryana and General Merchant Store in Janakpuri, west Delhi, said footfall and purchase patterns remain largely unchanged. “People are buying the way they usually do. Some always buy in bulk for the month. A few asked if the shop will shut, but I told them no such advisory has come as yet.”

Local residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), meanwhile, are stepping in to temper panic and promote rational buying. MK Gupta, secretary of the GK-I S Block Area Welfare Society, said, “It is important to fight misinformation. We’ve been getting questions from residents about stocking dry ration, but we’ve reassured them that there’s no reason to panic. Over 70 stores are operational in GK. People can buy enough for a month, but not for five or six.”

In east Delhi, BS Vohra, president of the RWA Joint Front, said there has been no formal alert, but members are urging preparedness—not panic. “Most people anyway keep dry rations for a month or two. We’ve advised residents to buy medicines and essentials in sufficient quantity and remain calm.”