Kathmandu, January 5

The supply of petroleum products via the Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Pipeline has been disturbed for the last 10 days after Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) halted supply citing it was upgrading its refineries across the country, including in Motihari.

Despite the halt in the supply of fuel through the pipeline, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has informed that supply of petroleum products in domestic market is normal as NOC has been collecting necessary fuel through tankers from different refineries of IOC.

“IOC had earlier informed us regarding possible supply disruption of fuel amid refinery maintenance works. As a result, IOC is not supplying through the pipeline temporarily,” informed Sushil Bhattarai, deputy managing director of NOC, adding that IOC had informed that it will resume fuel supply through the pipeline from Monday.

The 69-kilometre Motihari-Amlekhgunj cross-border pipeline project is operational since September 10.

Though all three fuel products — petrol, diesel and kerosene — can be supplied through the pipeline, IOC on the request of NOC is currently supplying only diesel via the pipeline.

NOC officials said that the supply through the pipeline was halted as IOC is standardising its refineries in a bid to execute its plan to switch to the Bharat Stage (BS) VI standard petroleum products, which is equivalent to the Euro VI standard, from April across the country.

Execution of this plan of the Indian government will automatically ensure the supply of Euro VI standard fuel in Nepal.

Regarded as high-grade fuel, emissions from petrol and diesel with Euro VI specifications contain low amount of sulphur, hydro-carbons, carbon monoxide and other particulate matters, helping to control pollution.

The Indian government had upgraded to Euro IV standard petrol and diesel in July 2017. In line with India, NOC had started supplying Euro IV standard fuel in the domestic market from the same time.

“There is nothing to worry regarding supply side of fuel. Moreover, supply through the pipeline will resume from Monday itself,” added Bhattarai.