NOC expedites petroleum storage facility construction on riverbank in Rupandehi

BHAIRAHAWA: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has expedited the construction process for a petroleum storage facility along the bank of Rohini Khola, a rivulet, in Rupandehi district.

The embankment construction at Rohini Khola, which marks the border between Omsatiya and Rohini rural municipalities, is currently underway. Approximately 70% of the embankment has been completed so far, according to Engineer Hiramani Khanal.

Khanal explained that the embankment work at Rohini Khola was based on an assessment of flood patterns over the past 50 years. Rohini Khola flows to the north and west of the land where the NOC is constructing the storage facility. A retaining wall has been erected on the northern side, while a gabion wall has been built on the western side of the site.

NOC, the state-owned trading enterprise that imports, stores and distributes petroleum products, is developing this new storage facility on approximately 14 bighas of land acquired along the Parasi-Bhairahawa road section. This decision was prompted by the limited storage capacity of the Bhalbari depot, which is also situated close to a human settlement.

Once completed, the new storage facility will meet the petroleum demand of Lumbini Province for 20 days. The NOC has been strategically establishing storage depots across various locations in the country to enhance its petroleum storage capacity.

Project Coordinator Pradeep Yadav revealed that the storage tanks will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3 billion. Specifically, three tanks will have a storage capacity of 2,100 kilolitres for diesel, two tanks will hold 1,600 kilolitres of petrol, and an additional three tanks will store 70 kilolitres of kerosene oil.

Following the completion of the new storage facility, the Bhalbari depot will be relocated to the banks of Rohini Khola. Yadav mentioned that the project's design is expected to be finalised by mid-October, with the foundation stone laying ceremony scheduled for November. 

The construction is targeted for completion by the second week of April 2027.

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