From Instagram reels warning of an “energy lockdown” and urging people to stock up on essentials, to WhatsApp forwards dissecting global tensions and predicting work-from-home mandates and travel curbs, a flood of speculative content is shaping public perception in Hyderabad. Even as the city grapples with global uncertainties and supply concerns, a more insidious challenge is rapidly taking hold — an unchecked wave of misinformation is fuelling fear, anxiety, prompting residents to prepare for disruptions that authorities say have not been announced.
In the past few days, rumours of an impending “lockdown” have spread swiftly across social media platforms, prompting residents to rush to grocery stores and fuel stations in a bid to stock up on essentials. The result has been a familiar but troubling pattern: panic-driven demand overwhelming systems that were otherwise functioning normally.
Fuel outlets in Hyderabad packed on third consecutive day, no relief for LPG auto drivers on March 26 too
On a weekday morning, Suresh Kumar, a police official, found himself dealing with such fear at home. His wife, alarmed by messages circulating online, insisted they prioritise stocking up on groceries over everything else. “She was convinced a lockdown is coming. She was very stressed and wanted us to prepare immediately,” he said.
