Let petro rivers flow in

 

A 69-km cross-border pipeline with a capacity to supply to Nepal 2 million metric tonnes of petroleum products per annum.

What’s the big deal? Per ancient tales, King Bhagirath brought the river Ganga to Planet Earth from the heavens without much pomp and show.

That was cakewalk. That was a gravity-flow water supply system, modern-day engineers are likely to argue.   

Well, the homo sapiens of this day and age are a bit different (About the ways of Bhagirath, we don’t know much). We go for easy things. We take things like time, effort and money into account.

Consider the alignment of the pipeline. The pipeline originates at Motihari (≈66 metres), passes through Raxaul (≈78 metres), the Parsa national park in Nepal and culminates at an altitude of 303 metres in Amlekhgunj where Nepal has one of her vital fuel storage and distribution infrastructure.

For a country of eight-thousanders, 300-metre elevation is no big deal. That’s beside the point here. The point to note is the difference in altitude between the starting point and the endpoint (Amlekhgunj) of the pipeline.

What’s more, the government is quite serious about extending the pipeline all the way up, literally, to Kathmandu via Chitwan (Lothar).

Defies logic? Perhaps those with adequate technical training and education think a bit different, apart from politicians.…

Let’s take Thankot (Kathmandu) as the endpoint of the to-be-extended pipeline.

Even our planners, policymakers, ministers and government officials know that Thankot is way above the sea level. They know that it qualifies to be a mountain of sorts, or do they not?

It’s quite difficult and costly to transport goods, fossil fuel included, to the hills and the mountains. Well, that is what this Hillian read and also experienced in his school days. But this does not mean our mountains should be devoid of vikas (development). As for vikas, successive governments have been as serious as India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, whose rallying cry is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. Yours truly shall not dare translate this gem of a slogan, for his words are all too shallow.

What better way to bring vikas to the mountains than in the form of a cross-border petroleum pipeline?

The sceptics may argue: Why build petroleum pipelines in a country with a good, if not huge, potential for hydropower? It’s costly, time-consuming and takes a lot of efforts.

Why not? Our development-friendly government would like to answer, perhaps.

You see, generating hydropower in Nepal is quite easy. Every Tom, Dick and Harry government can do that.

Easy things are what our governments, this government in particular, detest. This government loves challenges. Challenges like transporting fuel and gas to the mountains from almost sea-level points across the border. Such feats give our governments a sense of achievement.

Hard to believe this line of logic? Let’s turn the pages of history of the pipeline project. 

With a vikas-premi sarkar (development-loving government) in place at Singhadurbar, planning for the 69-km Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline began as early as in the year 2004. The idea was to bring down the cost of shipping fuel (oil and gas used to be transported from across the border in tankers) and ensure a smooth supply by reducing chances of supply-related obstructions and disruptions. 

Lakhs of Nepalis not born back then but lucky enough to get a taste of good governance these days will envy lakhs of people like yours truly for sure. Why? Because we have grown up and are getting old savouring the yummy flavour of this particular brand of governance. But don’t lose heart, guys. Competent astrologers with friends in high heavens have predicted that the current prime minister will have two more tenures.

Thanks to the pipeline, a mini-Amazon type petro river has been flowing in a country known for streams and mega rivers like the Koshi, Gandaki and the Mahakali.

With utmost loyalty comparable to the Gurkha soldiers, these water bodies have been fulfilling drinking water, energy and irrigation needs of the neighbour across the border, with a little bit of taming and training, of course. In coming days, more of our rivers like the Arun and the West Seti will be in the special service of our dear neighbour, thanks to our very own visionary prime minister and his predecessors, who have signed deals to this effect.

These days, certain quarters are busy spreading lies in Nepal. They have been claiming that soaring fossil fuel import bills, going further northwards due to factors like the Russia-Ukraine war, are already having an impact on the Nepali economy. They have been speculating that these soaring bills may land the country into a debt trap. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Ever the land of milk and honey, we the Nepalis have been living happily as ever before. Our trademark smile tells it all.

Don’t believe us? Come, visit us from every nook and corner of this globe and beyond. Check with your very own eyes…

You guys love Nepal and the Nepalis? Want to do us a favour?

Spread the Nepali model of development far and wide, for this is the only way to spread peace and bliss around the world.

Devendra Gautam