KATHMANDU, May 19: The work of extending the petroleum pipeline from Amlekhgunj in Bara to Lothar in Chitwan will start soon. According to Nepal Oil Corporation, after the completion of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline, it will be extended to Lothar.

Binitmani Upadhyay, head of Amlekhgunj, Madhesh regional office of the Corporation, said that a technical team is studying to start the pipeline work on Amlekhganj-Lothar 69 km.

"Studies are being conducted by high-level technical teams from both Nepal and India," he said, "Work will start after receiving the report of the teams." One hundred thousand liters of petroleum products will be stored in Lothar by extending the pipeline. More than 70 percent of the second phase of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline project has been completed. 

According to Upadhyay, in the second phase, Indian Oil Corporation has installed two 'petrol tanks' of 4,100 kiloliters capacity, two 'transmix tanks' of 250 kiloliters capacity, 24 fully automatic 'loading way-refillers', 'pump house' and laboratory at the depot at Amlekhgunj in Bara. 

An agreement has been reached with the Indian Oil Corporation to build two transmix tanks for storing mixed fuel, which can be both petrol and diesel, and a firewater tank with a capacity of 3,000 kiloliters for security inside the depot. 

Although it is possible to import petrol and kerosene through the same pipeline, due to the lack of storage capacity, petroleum products have to be brought by tankers. When petroleum products are imported through pipelines, the technical loss will be zero, transportation costs will be avoided and environmental pollution will be reduced. 

 
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