LPG Shortage Grips Kathmandu Amid Transportation Hurdles and Indian Refusal to Allow Nepali Tankers

Kathmandu. An acute shortage of cooking gas has gripped the Kathmandu Valley. Consumers, unable to find gas in the market, have been queuing up at the Nepal Gas Industry office in Balaju, carrying empty cylinders.

While the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) claims there is no shortage of other brands and that the issue in Kathmandu is due only to internal problems with Nepal Gas, industry insiders state the problem is deepening. Although the immediate causes are cited as issues at Indian refineries and increased consumption, the root cause lies in Nepal's lack of its own gas transportation system (bullet tankers) and India's refusal to grant permission for Nepali tankers to operate.