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Nepal Rations LPG Cylinders To Manage Demand Surge As War In East Asia Enters Second Week

Nepali consumers carry half-filled gas cylinders from the Nepal Oil Corporation depot in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 13, 2026, due to a shortage of cooking gas caused by the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The state monopoly, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), starts rationing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or cooking gas to manage the demand surge as the war in East Asia enters its second week, halting the supply. Following orders from NOC, bottling plants start selling half-filled cylinders to customers, forcing people to stand in long lines for hours. According to the new provision, applicable to both household and hotel and restaurant users, a 7.1-kilogram cylinder, half the usual size, is being distributed. The state monopoly claims that the move aims to conserve energy even though imports have not been affected. A 7.1-kg cylinder of cooking gas costs NRs 955. The decision by the Nepal Oil Corporation comes after an interval of 5 years. NOC adopted similar measures during previous crises in 2015 and 2020 when the country suffered acute shortages of cooking gas. The fuel monopoly says supplies from India remain normal, but panic buying is increasing in the Kathmandu Valley. Queues at cooking gas depots grow after local groceries are unable to supply the fuel across the valley, following rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, a key fuel-supplying region for global markets. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

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