China will supply gasoline to Nepal for the first time ever, in response to a dire fuel shortage caused by disrupted supply lines with India. A Nepal Oil Corporation official announced on Sunday that China would supply 1.3 million liters of gasoline, which would be transported to Kathmandu from the border via 100 tanker trucks.
As my colleague Ankit reported previously, crucial supplies from India stopped flowing across the India-Nepal border in mid-September, just after Nepal ratified its new constitution. The Madhesi and Tharu ethnic groups are protesting against the constitution, saying it will leave them underrepresented in Nepal’s government. India has urged Kathmandu to address their concerns. In that context, many Nepalis see the halt of border trade as an unofficial blockade designed to pressure Nepal into changing its constitution.
