Pokhara, March 20 :

Two tourists who have come to visit Pokhara via India in a motorbike were stranded due to the lack of petrol in Pokhara today.

Two Israeli tourists Aspha Danial and Yoga Oke who were planning to go to Kathmandu from Pokhara have no option rather than waiting for the arrival of petrol. They were sleeping on a mat at Baral Oil Distributors at Masbar in Pokhara.

“As there is no petrol in the bike, we have no option to go ahead after we could not find petrol here”, Yoga Oke said.

Proprietor of Baral Petrol Distributors Ram Chandra Baral said several tourists coming to visit Pokhara are stranded due to unavailability of petrol.

There is lack of petrol, as the NOC depot at Gagandanda is not distributing petrol since three days. It was supplying petrol from Amlekhgunj, however, supply of petrol from Amlekhgunj was disrupted due to Tarai agitation. After the agitation, the depot was supplying petrol from Bhalbadi in Rupandehi. Petrol could not be carried, as there is no petrol at Bhalbadi, NOC said.

There is lack of petrol after the petrol of Bhalbadi depot (with the capacity of 70,000 liters) started to supply petrol to the capital, assistant manager at Gagandanda depot, Shiva Prasad Bhattarai said. Petrol is imported to Bhalbadi from IOC depot at Betalpur in India, however, petrol could not be imported from there after IOC cut importing petrol, Bhattarai said.

24, 000 liters of petrol was filled up for Pokhara at Bhalbadi today and it will arrive in Pokhara today, Bhattarai said. Petroleum entrepreneurs said 36,000 liters of petrol is consumed in Pokhara every day. NOC is not providing petrol for three days, chairperson of Pokhara chapter of Gandaki-Dhawalagiri Petroleum Dealers’ Association, Nabin Baral, said.

Meanwhile, most of the vehicles were forced to stay in garage due to lack of fuel in Tanahun today. Tanahun CDO Kanshinath Marasini said attempts have been made to bring petroleum products from Bhairahawa.