BIRGUNJ: Raxaul depot of Indian Oil Corporation on Monday resumed fuel supplies to Nepal after months-long obstruction was removed from the Birgunj-Raxaul border point. The depot today loaded 300,000 litres of petroleum products into Nepal Oil Corporation tankers and sent them to Nepal today, according to Birgunj-based NOC Regional Office chief Abhishek Thakur. Of total 18 tankers coming to Nepal, 11 were of petrol and seven were of diesel, according to Thakur. READ ALSO:

• Raxaul depot likely to supply petrol, diesel, LPG from today

Thakur said the tankers would arrive in Birgunj by this evening though they were loaded only at around 2 in the afternoon. NOC had asked IOC to send 900,000 litres today, the official added. IOC had assigned depots other than Raxaul to give fuel to NOC since the start of the border blockade and the Birgunj route was completely closed for 135 days. Supply of fuel was adversely affected after the Raxaul depot stopped providing fuel to NOC tankers. IOC’s Raxaul depot caters to over half of Nepal’s fuel supply. IOC has extended refilling facility to NOC’s tankers from six depots  Raxaul, Barauni, Betalpur, Gonda, Banthara and Siliguri. Raxaul Depot caters to 2,500 to 3,000 kilolitres of fuel a day. IOC has marginally increased supply from other depots since the last two months, as Birgunj remained closed longer than other trade routes.