India, Nepal opens South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline

DHARAMSALA, Sept 11: India and Nepal have opened South Asia’s first cross-border oil pipeline describing it as a symbol of close bilateral relations between the two Asian neighbours.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated the 60km pipeline from state-run Indian Oil’s terminal in Motihari in north Bihar to Nepal Oil Corporation’s Amlekhgunj depot in Narayani zone in southern Nepal through a video-conference on Tuesday.

The joint venture will allow Nepal to receive an uninterrupted supply of gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene from India and the Nepalese Prime minister has announced to cut fuel prices by Rs 2 per litre on account of reduced transportation cost.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the Motihari- Amlwekhgunj pipeline as a symbol of close ties between India and Nepal.

“Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline will provide cleaner petroleum products at affordable costs to the people of Nepal.  I am glad that India and Nepal cooperation is scaling new heights, for the mutual benefit of our people,” Modi tweeted after the inauguration of the pipeline.

The Nepalese Prime Minister described the cross-border pipeline as the best example of connectivity in the field of trade between the two countries and invited the Indian prime minister to visit his country, which his counterpart accepted.

The Rs 324-crore pipeline which will be used to transport gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene from India to Nepal was completed much ahead of schedule

Nepal, the landlocked country imports all of its oil products from its large southern neighbour, India.

As it stands, India currently supplies 1.3 million tonnes of petroproducts per year to Nepal which is expected to double by next year.