As the government on Thursday instructed corporation to end scarcity within a week, the corporation has approached the country´s sole supplier of fuel, IOC, pleading it to supply more petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Shortage of these two products crippled the lives of general consumers in the past weeks. [break]
“IOC, which is reeling under huge oil loss itself, was already aware of Thursday´s Cabinet decision when we talked with its senior officials. They have promised to step up supplies,” said NOC Spokesperson Mukunda Dhungel.
Following NOC´s request, officials said Raxaul depot of IOC, from where Nepal imports most of fuel, released around 2,250 kiloliters (KL) of petroleum products on Friday. The volume is almost close to normal daily import.
IOC has further promised to supply as much fuel as possible on Saturday as traffic congestion in Raxaul remains low on Saturday. It has also committed to step up supplies on other days as well.
Moreover, IOC, which had curtailed supply of LPG from Barauni -- the main import point for gas -- following shortage of crude itself, has committed to supply more gas to Nepal from Haldiya refinery.
This is, however, expected to slow down imports in initial days as Haldiya is farther off and takes additional one day to transport gas from there. “Nonetheless, we have already asked LPG bottlers to send as many gas-ferrying bullets to Haldiya as possible,” said Dhungel.
The corporation has also worked out a number of options for re-orienting its fuel distribution pattern to provide the people relief from shortage.
In this connection, sources said the corporation is planning to pump out more petrol in certain specified localities on one day, and do the same in another area on the other day, creating a new distribution pattern so that people in all parts of the Valley could get fuel in their own localities at least every alternate day.
So far, the corporation is releasing major chunk of supplies to 9 petrol pumps operated by Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Sajha Cooperatives. As a result, people from different corners of the Valley have been queuing up at these pumps, being sure they will at least get some fuel if they queue up in front of these petol pumps.
“We have worked out a number of options to ensure people get petrol easily by coming Thursday,” said Dhungel.
As for LPG, he said the corporation will need more time to ease supplies as gas companies have sought a couple of days to divert their transporters to Haldiya. “Once the supply from Haldiya starts to enter the country, the supply will ease drastically in 15 days,” said Dhungel.
The corporation, however, continued to remain mum over improving supply of diesel, the major industrial fuel, on which it is suffering the biggest loss of around Rs 1 billion a month.
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