Checked against the Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (Ver. 1, effective 24.10.2024) on 26 October 2026. Published by MDG Services on 26 October 2026.
Two dips, two questions
General knowledge, not MDG text: a dip rod is lowered to the bottom of a tank and lifted out, and the wet mark shows how deep the liquid is.
- Product dip: the height of fuel, in cm. Not litres yet.
- Water dip: the height of water at the bottom, recorded every day MDG 1.4.1(b). MDG's maintenance report asks for it in cm MDG Annexure 6. General practice: water finding paste on the rod shows the water line; MDG names the paste for tanker compartments MDG 1.2(vii). See water finding paste.
To get litres, look the height up in that tank's own calibration chart. That is general practice, not an MDG rule. Every tank has its own chart, and between two lines the usual way is a straight-line estimate: see the dip chart calculator. Never use another tank's chart.
When MDG asks for a dip
| When | Which dip | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Every morning | Product dip and water dip of each tank, taken separately and recorded | MDG 1.3 |
| Every day | Water dip, as part of the stock register. Water found goes to the controlling company office at once | MDG 1.4.1(b) |
| A tanker arrives | Every compartment dipped with the lorry's certified rod, after checking the rod's markings, plus a water paste test | MDG 1.2(vi) MDG 1.2(vii) |
| Dip short, or water | The shortage is made up through the dispensing pump and written on the back of the invoice | MDG 1.2(xi) |
| The stock check | The opening dip and the closing dip start and end the sum | MDG Annexure 9 MDG 5.1.11 |
| A mobile lab sample fails | Each dispensing unit's meter reading and the dip of every tank of that product go into the test report | MDG 7.6.1(b) |
How the dip feeds the stock register
Each morning's dip, turned into litres, is the opening stock. With receipts and meter sales it gives the book stock, and the next morning's dip shows how far the tank differs from the books MDG Annexure 9. For example (made-up tank): a morning dip of 142 cm is looked up in that tank's chart, and the litres are written beside it in the register.
What is written each morning is on the daily stock register page, and the limit on stock variation. Our register formats have columns for each tank's dips.
Questions dealers ask
01What is dip in a petrol pump? (dip kya hota hai petrol pump)
General knowledge, not MDG text: the level of product or water read with a dip rod. MDG asks for a dip of every tanker compartment MDG 1.2(vii) and a daily record of each outlet tank's product and water dips MDG 1.3.
02What is a dip rod at a petrol pump?
For a tanker it is the Weights & Measures-certified rod that comes with the lorry. Check its markings at the foot and at the proof level, and against a standard measuring tape MDG 1.2(vi) MDG 1.2(vii). MDG does not describe the rod for your own tanks, so ask your oil company which one applies.
03What is a petrol pump dip chart?
MDG does not use the term; for a tanker it asks for the calibration certificate with its product level and proof level MDG 1.2(v). General knowledge, not MDG text: a dip chart turns a dip reading into litres, and each tank has its own.
04How often must the dip be taken at a petrol pump?
Product and water dips of each tank every morning MDG 1.3, the water dip every day in the stock register MDG 1.4.1(b), and every tanker compartment before decanting MDG 1.2(vii).
05What is the water dip, and what if water is found?
It is the height of water at the bottom of a tank, recorded every day. Water found in an outlet tank is reported at once to the controlling company office MDG 1.4.1(b). See water finding paste.
Read the official text: Marketing Discipline Guidelines 2024 (PDF on Bharat Petroleum's website) (also published on iocl.com).
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About Dealer Kavach (advertisement)
Dealer Kavach is an app from MDG Services that tracks your outlet's filings, renewals, inspections and daily reports, and reminds you before deadlines, in Hindi and English.