Submit your Article

Preparations are underway to immediately implement the policy of mixing 10 percent ethanol in petrol in Nepal. 

In the program on 'Ethanol Blending Policy in Nepal: Opportunities, Challenges and Implementation Strategy' organized  today by the Society of Economic Journalists Nepal (SEJON), representatives from the government and the private sector have emphasized the need to quickly implement the policy of ethanol blending in petrol. 

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Anil Kumar Sinha stated that the decision to mix ethanol in petrol has reached the implementation phase after extensive study and discussions.

“Study and discussion on this matter has been going on for almost 20 years. All studies have now been completed and the Order to Mix Ethanol in Petrol-2082 has been approved. The policy will soon be published in the Gazette and will be implemented,” he said.

Minister Sinha said that mixing ethanol with petrol is an important step towards clean energy and claimed that mixing 10 percent ethanol could reduce petrol imports from Nepal by about Rs six billion annually. He argued that implementation of this measure will help reduce the trade deficit.

The Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies expressed his belief that ethanol production would increase agricultural products like sugarcane, expand the use of agricultural land, and help stimulate the domestic economy.

He, however, acknowledged that there are challenges in areas such as establishing new industries, industrial environment, safety, employment, and raw material production. 

Minister Sinha mentioned that there is potential for foreign investment in this area and emphasized that while competition is necessary, unhealthy competition should not occur. He suggested that for ethanol to be competitive, its price should be lower than petrol and for that, the procedure on this will be brought soon.

Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Govinda Bahadur Karki, said that many commissions and recommendation committees had been formed in the past for ethanol blending in petrol. He shared, on the occasion, that an order regarding ethanol blending had come from the government based on the recommendations of those commissions and committees.

Secretary Karki stated that the idea of blending ethanol with petrol is in the country's interest after analysing the positive and negative aspects of all types of fuels. He expressed the confidence that the government formed after the House of Representatives elections will also continue with this policy.

Executive Director of Nepal Oil Corporation, Chandika Prasad Bhatta, said the program of blending ethanol with petrol, which has been prepared for a long time, has now reached the implementation stage and clarified that they will not back down from implementing the decision.

According to Executive Director Bhatta, it may take one to one and a half years for the program to be fully implemented. He said preparations are underway as standards for ethanol quality need to be established.

Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Shivaram Pokharel, said that the Council of Ministers had decided last December on the policy to blend 10 percent ethanol in petrol, stating that so far there has been no commercial production of ethanol in Nepal.

He added that however this order has opened the way for production. He informed the interaction that the government would soon recommend the minimum price of ethanol, set quality standards, and initiate the process of inviting bids for production. 

According to him, after the ethanol blending order is published in the Gazette, a pricing committee will be formed and companies will be selected based on production capacity.

 “Since this is a new subject, it takes time to implement, but we have moved forward by studying the practices of various countries,” he said.

Private sector call for favourable environment

Representatives of the private sector have said that while there is enough raw materials to produce ethanol, a favourable environment is needed to establish the ethanol industry.

Chairman of Kian Chemical Industries Limited, Bed Prasad Kharel, emphasized the need to strengthen government mechanisms, noting that investors have to face administrative hassles.

Shashikanta Agrawal, the President of Nepal Sugar Manufacturers' Association, said that although about 240 thousand metric tonnes of sugar is consumed annually in Nepal, only about 200 thousand metric tonnes is produced domestically.

He stated that there is a possibility of becoming self-reliant within two years and that even though there is a decision on ethanol blending, the procedure and implementation plan are not clear.

Consumer rights activist Madhav Timalsina emphasized that when implementing the ethanol blending programme, price, quality and market regulation should be clear.

"We need to assess what we require and whether the existing mechanisms can handle it or not," he said.

He stated that clear arrangements for ethanol price fluctuations, regulation and supervision are necessary. 

"Without quality production and effective market regulation, the goal of import substitution will not be achieved," Timalsina said and stressed on clear policies related to the price, quality and measurement of ethanol.

The tiger census that started on December 18, 2025 has been completed on February 19.

Chitwan National Park Information Officer Avinash Thapa Magar said that 85 cameras were installed in Chitwan and Parsa National Park where 60 were stolen and 25 were found damaged. 

He said that 1,780 cameras were used in Chitwan and Parsa National Parks. According to Thapa Magar, the two national parks were divided into one complex and one complex into three blocks for the tiger census.

This complex was divided into 958 grids for the tiger census. Of the cameras used in those grids, 85 cameras were problematic, Thapa Magar said.

According to him, the work was done by placing cameras in one block for 17 nights.

The two square kilometer area was counted by making a grid.

Earlier, in the tiger census conducted in 2022, data was made public that there were 355 adult tigers in Nepal.

In that census, 128 tigers were found in Chitwan, 125 in Bardiya National Park, 25 in Banke National Park, 41 in Parsa National Park and 36 in Shuklaphanta National Park.

Twenty-two passengers were injured when a bus met with an accident at Bijauna in Manahari Rural Municipality-7, Makwanpur, on Sunday.

According to Pushkar Bogati, Deputy Superintendent of Police and spokesperson of Makwanpur District Police Office, a passenger bus with the registration number Ba 06–001 Kh 0054, heading towards to Chitwan from Birgunj, went out of control and crashed into an electric pole on the left side of the road, injuring 22 passengers traveling in the bus. 

DSP Bogati said that the injured were rescued and sent to Chitwan Hospital for treatment.

The District Administration Office has continued the prohibitory order within Gaur Municipality area. 

The prohibitory order has continued to be effective from 8:30 am today within the eastern Mudbalwa Gate, western Lalbakaiya Dam, north of Bam Canal and south of Gaur Customs Office.

Chief District Officer Dinesh Sagar Bhusal said that the prohibitory order has been continued from 8:30 am on Sunday until further notice. 

The order was issued from 1 am on Saturday to 6:30 am today after a clash between two communities in Savgadha village of Gaur-6 on Saturday morning. 

The prohibitory order had been relaxed from 6:30 am to 8:30 am today.