Expansion of fuel transport through Motihari to Amlekhgunj.

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) will start importing petrol and kerosene, along with diesel, through the multi-product pipeline from Motihari, India, to Amlekhgunj, Nepal, from mid-January. 

Since 2019, the pipeline has been used to import diesel. The second phase of the project which includes petrol and kerosene, is almost complete. Testing has successfully transported 5,500 kiloliters of petrol and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene. Pralayankar Acharya, Chief of NOC's Madhes Provincial Office, said quality checks and system calibrations are ongoing. 

The pipeline will make fuel transport safer, reducing the risks of accidents, theft and pollution. It can carry 6,000 kiloliters of fuel daily, but due to the current demand, it will operate below its capacity. 

The 69.2 km pipeline, South Asia's first, was launched by Prime Ministers KP Sharma Oli and Narendra Modi. It runs 33 km in India and 36.2 km in Nepal. Fuel from the Amlekhgunj Depot is distributed to depots in Biratnagar, Thankot, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Pokhara, and Janakpur. 

New storage tanks and automated systems have been added to the depot. The plan for extending the pipeline to Chitwan are underway and surveys related to the environmental studies by Indian Oil Corporation is expected to begin from next month.