LPG Bottling Shifted Outside Kathmandu After Krishnabhir Road Collapse
LPG companies are refilling cylinders outside Kathmandu after the Krishnabhir road collapse blocked gas bullets from reaching the Valley with supplies being brought in through alternative routes.
LPG bottling operations have been shifted outside Kathmandu Valley after the road at Krishnabhir along the Prithvi Highway subsided, preventing gas bullets from reaching the capital.
Gas industries operating in Kathmandu Valley and nearby districts have started coordinating with bottling plants in Bara, Parsa, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Nawalparasi to refill cylinders and transport them to Kathmandu by truck.
According to Dewan Chand, president of the Nepal LP Gas Industry Association, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has permitted gas industries to refill cylinders outside the Valley until the road disruption is resolved.
Around 16 gas industries in Kathmandu Valley and surrounding districts are coordinating with plants outside the capital to maintain LPG supplies.
Chand said Kathmandu Valley and nearby districts account for more than 40% of Nepal's total LPG consumption, making uninterrupted supply particularly important following the road disruption.
Vimal Kalakheti, an association member and operator of Baba Gas, said gas cylinders would continue to be refilled at plants outside Kathmandu until the Krishnabhir road is reopened. The refilled cylinders will then be transported to the Valley through alternative routes, including the Tribhuvan Highway.
Industry representatives have said the alternative arrangements should prevent a cooking gas shortage in Kathmandu Valley and surrounding districts. Consumers have also been advised against panic buying or unnecessary stockpiling.
Several LPG companies have already established temporary refilling arrangements with plants outside the Valley. Shree Gas is coordinating with Baba Gas, while Shree Krishna Gas is using Sai Baba Gas for refilling. Shree Ram Gas has coordinated with Janaki Gas, Nepal Gas with Nepal Gandaki Gas, and Everest Gas and Sugam Gas with Sahara Gas.
Other LPG companies have also begun working with bottling plants outside Kathmandu to maintain regular distribution.
The arrangements are expected to remain in place until road connectivity at Krishnabhir improves, allowing normal LPG transportation and bottling operations to resume.