Customers have been forming long queues in front of refilling pumps in the capital for petroleum products for last few days. To cope with the demand-supply imbalance, NOC on Wednesday increased supplies of petrol and diesel to petrol pumps. [break]
“We distributed 519kl of petrol and 695kl of diesel to petrol pumps operating in the capital. Keeping in view the excessive demand for petrol, we are planning to increase the supply of petroleum to 700kl per day from tomorrow (Thursday),” NOC Spokesperson Shiva Prasad Pudasaini told Republica.
On Tuesday, NOC had supplied 480kl of petrol and 870kl of diesel on Monday from its Thankot depot.
Pudasaini also said around 300kl of petrol and 700kl of diesel had entered the capital late Tuesday evening.
“Disruption in supplies for over a week has fuelled panic buying resulting in shortage of petroleum products in the capital,” added Pudasaini.
In response to the request from NOC officials, petrol tanker operators have agreed to increase the number of tankers plying along the Barauni-Amlekhgunj route. After the murder of a tanker help last week in India, petrol tanker operators had brought the transportation of petroleum products along the route to a standstill for three days.
Though the tanker operators agreed to resume the transportation of petroleum products after NOC pledged to fulfill their demands, not all of them have resumed transport service. “Of the total 65 tankers only around 40 are currently plying the Barauni-Amlekhgunj route,” he added. Tanker operators have assured NOC officials of increasing the number immediately to ease the supplies.
Supplies of petroleum through Raxaul- Amlekhagunj route, which has also been disrupted for last few days due to ongoing maintenance works in Raxaul depot, will resume only after a couple of weeks. According to him, supplies of petroleum from Raxaul to Amlekhagunj have dropped to around 1,500kl from around 2,500kl during normal period.
NOC has been receiving petroleum products from Biratnagar and Bhairawa also as supplies from Barauni-Amlekhagunj route has not yet resumed.
During the normal times, NOC on an average supplied 350kl of petrol and 400kl of diesel per day in the capital. Around 140 fuel pumps operate in the Valley.
Related story
IOC sends increased price list of petroleum products
