Amid widespread fuel shortages and long queues at petrol pumps in Dewas, Gopal Thakur, a bank collection agent, made headlines by riding a horse to work. After encountering overwhelming crowds while trying to refuel his two-wheeler, Thakur chose the unconventional mode of transport to avoid delays and reach his office on time.

His horseback commute, captured on video and shared widely on social media, highlighted the lengths to which residents are going to cope with the ongoing fuel crisis. The unusual sight of a formally dressed professional navigating city streets on horseback became a striking symbol of the current fuel anxiety in the region.