Petroleum shortage hits Nepal

Consumers across Nepal are facing shortage of petroleum products as the main opposition party, Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)-affiliated All Nepal Petroleum Workers Union (ANPWU), shut down all private petrol pumps in the capital Kathmandu Valley for an indefinite period. Although petrol pumps outside Kathmandu are open, they have not provided petrol to consumers as ANPWU members have been picketing all nine depots of Nepal Oil Corp. across the nation, preventing dealers from getting supply. Consumers had to queue up for hours before getting rationed amounts of petrol and diesel fuel from such pumps. (December 1, 2009)