Kathmandu, January 25

The Nepal Police has expressed serious concerns over the open distribution of highly flammable petroleum products in plastic bottles and jars and have requested fuel dealers to refrain from doing so from now onwards.

Issuing a statement, the District Police Range of Kathmandu has requested the petroleum dealers not to sell petroleum products openly, citing the risks of accidents when flammable products are transported in an unsafe manner and stored in residential and commercial places.

The police also shared that the dealers have been informed not to sell or distribute petroleum products openly except for directly filling the vehicles and also warned of legal action under existing laws against anyone found to be doing so.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has also issued a statement urging petroleum dealers to stop the distribution of petroleum products in an open manner and follow the instructions of the police authorities.

Lilendra Prasad Pradhan, president of the Nepal Petroleum Dealers' National Association, said that the association is prepared to follow the direc-tions given as well as distribute a circular on the issue to all petroleum dealers. 'We are ready to follow the protocols and given directions without hesitation,' he told The Himalayan Times.

The decision to tighten the open distribution of fuel products comes after a man attempted self-immolation by pouring petrol on his body in front of the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon. The man identified as Prem Prasad Acharya succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Nepal Cleft and Burn Centre in Kirtipur Hospital at 5:00am today.

Not everybody is happy with the direction, though, as some believe it will divert the attention from the more pertinent issue of 'why' the person chose to do what he did.

'Concerns regarding open distribution in bottles and jars have been raised time and again. Trying to stop distribution in such manners will only affect the general public as the dealers will have no problem in following the rules set by the authorities concerned. More focus should be laid instead on finding the reason behind the man immolating himself,' another stakeholder, seeking anonymity, opined.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 26, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.