Kathmandu: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has decided to convert the kerosene storage tanks at its Biratnagar Depot into diesel storage tanks as the diesel storage capacity has been reduced. As the consumption of kerosene is declining, the corporation has started the work of converting kerosene tanks with a capacity of 1.4 million liters (1400 kiloliters) into diesel tanks.

“The work of converting kerosene tanks into diesel tanks has reached the final stage,” said Ashok Shah, provincial chief of NOC, Province-1. “After the decline in kerosene consumption, two tanks were unused,” said Shah. “We have converted the same tanks for diesel storage.” The conversion is set to complete by the first week of November.

Due to insufficient storage of diesel, diesel imported from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) had to be diverted directly to the pump. After converting two of the three kerosene tanks into diesel storage tanks, only one kerosene tank with a capacity of 710 kiloliters will remain at the Biratnagar depot. The diesel storage tank is being constructed at a cost of around Rs 26 million.

About 400 to 500 kiloliters of petrol and around 1,000 to 1,500 kiloliters of diesel are sold daily from the corporation's Biratnagar depot. Fuel is supplied from Biratnagar to Sunsari, Siraha, Saptari, Dhankuta, Morang, Sunsari, Udayapur, Terhathum, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu and other districts of the province. Biratnagar currently has a diesel storage capacity of 8,910 kiloliters.

In Biratnagar, fuel is imported from the IOC's Siliguri and Barauni depots. Along with the increase in fuel storage capacity, water tanks are also being prepared for firefighting at the Biratnagar depot. Chief Shah said that there is a plan to build a water tank with a capacity of 2,000 kiloliters to reduce the possible risk of accidents.

Similarly, the corporation has stated that the provincial depot of Biratnagar is being made systematic. The corporation plans to put up a wall from outside to make the depot premises well-organized. The depot has adopted a system for the loading and unloading of diesel and petrol in a systematic manner. There are five loading points for diesel, two for petrol and one for kerosene. About 400 tankers transport fuel in Province 1.