KATHMANDU: The Nepal Oil Corporation has started distributing half-filled cooking gas cylinders in the market from Friday in an effort to manage a sudden surge in demand.
The state-owned fuel supplier said the move was taken after demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sharply increased in recent days, creating pressure on the existing supply system.
Under the temporary arrangement, the corporation has begun sending cylinders containing only 7.1 kilograms of gas, half of the standard household cylinder, to retailers.
Officials said the decision aims to ensure that a larger number of households can access cooking gas during the current supply strain rather than allowing limited supplies to be concentrated among fewer consumers.
Consumers in several parts of the Kathmandu Valley have already reported difficulty obtaining LPG cylinders in recent days as demand rose rapidly in the market.
The corporation expects the half-cylinder distribution system to help stabilize supply and ease pressure on retailers until the situation normalizes.
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