Fuel supply in Valley begins to normalise

KATHMANDU:

The supply of fuel in the Valley is slowly starting to normalise as a majority of fuel stations have started to purchase fuel from the Thankot depot — the depot dedicated to supply fuel in the Valley.

Rabin Sharma, chief of the depot, informed that 91 out of the total 118 fuel stations purchased 670 kilolitres of petrol and 485 kilolitres of diesel, respectively, today.

The demand for petrol was similar to that during normal times, while the demand for diesel is quite low, according to him.

The supply of petrol and diesel in the Valley stood at 486 kilolitres and 338 kilolitres, respectively, on Wednesday. It was 367 kilolitres and 408 kilolitres, respectively, on Tuesday, according to Thankot depot Chief Sharma.

NOC has said it has sufficient stock in all major depots of the country, and import of fuel also resumed from Monday after Saturday’s earthquake.

NOC has eight depots, in Biratnagar, Janakpur, Amlekhganj, Thankot, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj, Dhangadi and Dipayal. The total stock in these depots stands at 2,879 kilolitres of petrol and 27,384 kilolitres of diesel at present, which is sufficient to meet the demand for one month, as per Mukunda Ghimire, spokesperson for NOC. “Fuel import and supply is going smoothly.”

In addition, stock of cooking gas, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and kerosene stands at 2.1 million cylinders, 4,467 kilolitres and 2,815 kilolitres, respectively.

“The current stock of cylinders and bullets can meet the demand for one-and-a-half months,” said Shiva Prasad Ghimire, president of LP Gas Industry Association.

This means there is no chance of cooking gas shortage. Gas bottlers have said that gas bullets at the bottling plants are also full.

Source: THT