Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) said 17 fuel tankers entered Nepal through the Birgunj-Raxaul border point on Monday.

These tankers imported 368kl of petroleum products — 140kl diesel, 108kl petrol and 120kl aviation turbine fuel.

After the border obstruction was lifted on Friday for the first time in 137 days, fuel tankers were allowed to cross the border. In the last three days, Nepal has sent 42 tankers to Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Raxaul depot for refilling.

On Saturday, four liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bullets and a diesel tanker entered Nepal. These were old shipments that had been stranded at the border for a long time.

NOC had requested IOC to provide 900kl of petroleum products from its Raxaul depot, according to NOC Director Mukunda Ghimire. “But we received less than half of the requested amount on Monday,” he said.

“IOC has been reluctant to provide fuel as per our demand, citing sufficient stock of ‘tax-free fuel’, so we are not sure whether it will increase the supply,” he said.

Since 2012, India has waived tax on fuel being exported to Nepal.

Of the 108kl petrol imported on Monday, the valley will get just 72kl, while the diesel will be dispatched to Pokhara (68kl) and Birgunj (72kl), Ghimire said. “IOC is positive on increasing fuel supply to Nepal, but it has not specified the exact quantity,” he said, adding.

Since India imposed the trade embargo on Nepal, NOC had been rerouting its Birgunj-based fuel tankers to other border points.

Before the embargo, NOC had been importing 2,500kl of petroleum products from the Raxaul depot. However, shipments were cut by 85 percent in the first two months since September 22, the day India imposed the embargo. The supply was slightly raised to 30 percent of the demand since December.   

Local residents and businessmen, frustrated by the prolonged protests, had forcefully opened the border point on Friday, allowing cargo trucks and vehicles to cross the border.

LPG supply yet to improve

KATHMANDU: Although Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has started providing diesel, petrol and aviation fuel from its Raxaul depot, the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has yet to improve. IOC officials have informed Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) that they do not have enough stock of LPG to meet Nepal’s demand, according to NOC officials. LPG is imported from IOC’s Barauni-based depot through the Birgunj-Raxaul border point. Nepal’s monthly LPG demand stands at 29,000 tonnes.