Jhapa, January 29:

Jhapa is facing an acute shortage of petroleum products as no vehicle carrying them entered the district for the eighth straight day today. All the 30 petrol stations here have run dry.

The Mechi Petroleum Dealers’ Association said they are not able to bring in petroleum products from the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) sales depot at Biratnagar due to the ongoing agitation of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum.

“At a time when we are not getting cooking gas and kerosene, the 16-hour load-shedding schedule imposed by the Nepal Electricity Authority has added to the woes of consumers here,” said a local of Bhadrapur-5, Ranju Sharma.

People are flocking to India in droves to fetch kerosene and petrol.

Petroleum dealers across the border have, however, grasped the ‘opportunity’ and hiked the price of petrol. They are selling it for Rs 160 a litre, said Yubaraj Parajuli of Birtamode.