Kathmandu. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has imported 52,737 metric tonnes of LP gas in the last 28 days. This quantity of gas is equivalent to 37,13,894 cylinders.

According to Sishir Subedi, deputy spokesperson of the corporation, additional 19,218 metric tons of gas has been loaded from various refineries and bottling plants of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). About 47,000 metric tons of gas is consumed in Nepal monthly.

LPG is being supplied to Kathmandu Valley and surrounding districts through alternative arrangement as the main road has been obstructed due to landslide at Krishnabhir along the Prithvi Highway.

According to Subedi, about 399,529 cylinders have been distributed to the consumers through alternative routes like Tribhuvan Highway and BP Highway from September 3 to September 1. In the last 10 days, an average of 40,000 cylinders of gas have been sold in the Kathmandu Valley daily. The corporation has said that the gas will be supplied to Kathmandu through alternative routes after filling gas in the industries of the Terai until the obstructed highway is restored.

Following the obstruction of the main highway, the NOC has made arrangements to bring cylinders from Kathmandu, Dhading and Kavrepalanchowk factories in Bara, Parsa, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Dhanusha and Mahottari to Kathmandu through an alternative route from August 28. After the operation of the road, LP gas bullets will be regularly imported from the same route. It is believed that the supply of gas will be easier after the industries distributing in Kathmandu start sending gas from their own factories to the market.

The corporation said that a high-level coordination team has been formed to make the supply system more effective. The government has intensified action against those who hide the gas filled cylinders or create artificial scarcity. About 1,200 cylinders found hidden during the monitoring have been distributed to the consumers and the vendors found irregularities have been fined, the corporation said.

Likewise, efforts are underway to develop an online tracking system to make the sale and distribution of gas cylinders transparent, Subedi said.

Od

Import and sale of gas increased compared to last year

The import and sale of gas has increased in the first two months of the current fiscal year as compared to the previous year. About 12 lakh more cylinders have been marketed in the same period of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last year. In the same period of the current fiscal year, 31,21,048 cylinders of gas were sold, while in the same period of the current fiscal year, 40,36,364 cylinders were sold.

Likewise, 3,355,960 cylinders were sold in the market last year while 3,713,894 cylinders were supplied till September 11 of the current fiscal year.

On the other hand, the corporation has claimed that both the import and distribution of gas cylinders have increased, but the consumers have complained that they have not got gas. Even now, long lines of gas are seen at the gas depots. Some people have complained that they have not got gas even after standing in line for 1 week.