Petrol scarcity to ease soon

If everything goes as planned, Kathmanduites will have enough petrol from Monday. The valley is facing a shortage of petrol since the last four days due to the Tarai bandh called by the Tharu community.
"Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has requested the Bara and Parsa districts' administration to clamp curfew tonight so that 200 empty tankers can reach Raxaul and other stranded tankers also can reach their destination," said Digambar Jha, managing director of NOC. Though 24 tankers have reached Kathmandu Valley, that cannot fulfill the demand here as the daily demand of the valley is at 300 kilolitres (kl). The state-oil monopoly's storage capacity in the valley is only 2,630 kl, which is adequate for only nine days.
"We are working to increase the storage capacity in Thankot," Jha said adding that the state-oil monopoly has already bought land for the storage depot. "Diesel storage capacity has been increased and stock of kerosene is also enough as the consumption of kerosene has gone down after price equalisation with diesel," he added. There is enough stock of Air Turbine Fuel (ATF).
NOC boasts of a cumulative storage capacity of 71,742.3 kl of petroleum products, which last for 30 days. But, it can store only 6,300 kl of diesel and kerosene each and 7,640 kl of ATF in the capital.
The valley's petrol stocks are depleted as many tankers are stranded at various places like Birgunj, Simra, Jeetpur and Kalaiya. "The ultimate solution is a pipeline," Jha said. "Otherwise the valley people will always have to face a shortage due to this reason or that."
Due to the blockade of the Raxual-Amlekhginj route NOC has been unable to supply petroleum products smoothly in the valley since the last four days. The Ministry of Commerce and Supplies and the Home Ministry are trying to impose curfew to allow the movement of petrol tankers.
"The Tharuhat movement, the protest of the squatters, the road blockade due to a tipper accident on Jitpur-Simara road stretch, the padlocking of Birjung customs offcie and the tanker strike has disrupted the supply," NOC stated. It has requested consumers to bear with it for another till Sundfay saying there will be ample supply from Monday.