Kathmandu, February 10

The number of tankers loaded with petroleum products entering via Raxaul-Birgunj has been increasing each day, as the Raxaul depot of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has increased the supply of fuel to fuel-strapped Nepal along with the reopening of the Birgunj trade route.

Altogether, 137 tankers loaded with petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) entered the country through Birgunj today, according to Sushil Sharma, information officer at Birgunj Customs Office. Apart from that, two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bullets also entered via Birgunj.

As per Birgunj Customs Office, of the 137 fuel tankers that entered the country today, 86 were loaded with diesel, 37 with petrol and 14 with ATF.

Raxaul depot, which caters over 50 per cent of the country’s total import of gasoline — petrol, diesel, and kerosene and ATF — had stopped providing load to tankers of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) four-and-a-half months ago when the agitating Madhes-based political parties initiated blockade at border crossings.

The Raxaul depot started providing load to NOC tankers from Monday after the Raxaul-Birgunj trade route was

reopened and the agitating United Madhesi Democratic Front officially withdrew the blockade.

On Monday, only 24 fuel tankers had entered the country as the Raxaul depot started to provide load after 2:00pm following completion of all

necessary processes to dispatch fuel tankers via Raxaul-Birgunj route.

The number of tankers that entered via Birgunj had increased to 95 on Tuesday. Moreover, four LPG bullets had entered the country on Tuesday through the route.

The country has been reeling under acute shortage of fuel and other daily essentials since the border blockade at Birgunj, which is also known as the gateway to Kathmandu, remained closed for long.

Around 200 vehicles loaded with fuel used to enter via Raxual-Birgunj during normal times, according to Sharma.

NOC has projected that it would take at least another two weeks for the supply situation to normalise and that consistent supply from the Raxaul depot is a must for this.

However, supply of cooking gas from India is still erratic. During normal times, daily supply from Barauni, Haldia and Mathura refineries stood at 30, 20 and 10 bullets, respectively. The concerned refineries of IOC have been dispatching only half the quantity than during normal times.