KATHMANDU, Nov 12: Shortage of petroleum products has hit consumers in the Valley as Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) failed to manage supplies amid dwindling import, which resulted from stringent depot safety policy of the Indian supplier and traffic jam along Birgunj-Raxaul corridor, the main import route. [break]
Petroleum dealers said the NOC did not issue petrol to private dealers on Tuesday. On Wednesday, it distributed 225 kiloliters of fuel, which is three-fourth of normal daily demand, in the Valley.
"Almost all dealers in the valley were out of stock earlier on the day. Fuel was distributed only late on the day, building queues at the refilling stations," said Sharad Bhandari of Nepal Petroleum Dealers´ Association, flaying the NOC for not managing the import-related problem on time.
NOC officials, however, volleyed the problem to the poor traffic management along the Birgunj-Raxaul customs, saying that managing traffic along the congested road on both sides of the border was not in its hand.
"Also we could not ferry the supply received on Monday and Tuesday from Birgunj customs because of strike by government officials there protesting the manhandling of chief district officer by a state minister," said Ramesh Koirala, deputy director of NOC.
Sources at NOC also told myrepublica.com that it has fast run out of petrol stock at Thankot depot, the main distribution outlet for Kathmandu.
NOC, last week, had announced that its import has dwindled to half the required volume after Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) tightened entry of excessive tankers in Raxaul depot, which ultimately created problems in parking and queuing of tankers and slowed refilling and movement of vehicles along the cramped road.
Earlier, IOC used to allow Nepali tankers to park and stand on queue within the depot area. This used to support traffic movement, save refilling and movement time, enabling NOC to receive as much as 2,400 KL fuel a day -- a volume which is necessary to keep the supplies going in the country.
However, tight safety policy has forced Nepali tankers to wait on a queue on the main road and enter the depot only after the previous batch of tankers move out, worsening traffic congestion and also slowing the loading procedures.
Owing to it, NOC has been receiving just about 1,200 KL of fuel a day from a week ago. To address the problem, it had also knocked the doors of Supplies Ministry to coordinate with other government agencies.
"But the government turned deaf ear to our request," said an official, requesting anonymity.
Mukunda Dhungel, NOC spokesperson, however, expressed hope that the situation would improve once the loaded tankers stranded on the other side of the border start entering Nepal from Thursday.