The Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Pipeline is to be handed to the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) soon, following the completion of its extension works.

The pipeline infrastructure is already operational, currently transporting petroleum products from Motihari, India, to Amlekhgunj in Bara. Preparations for its official handover to the NOC are underway.

According to Prayankar Acharya, Chief of the NOC Madhesh Province Office in Amlekhgunj, the pipeline is presently undergoing test operations. A technical team from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been deployed on-site to oversee the process.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the modality of the handover, which may include an inauguration by the Prime Ministers of both countries or an alternative format.

Meanwhile, the extension of the pipeline from Amlekhgunj to Lothar in Chitwan, spanning 69 kilometres, is also expected to commence soon.