Amidst
the alleged blockade by India, China gifted 1.3 million liters of fuel to Nepal
and agreed to meet one-third of the hill nation’s fuel demand on a sustainable
basis through the Friendship Highway connecting the two countries. Nepalese politicians
claim that the Chinese supply is cheaper than the Indian one, nonetheless,
at one go, could only send 12 out of the required 40 tankers to collect the
fuel.
Given
that the high altitude highway is marred with steep curves, is at risk
of frequent landslides, and prone to closures during monsoon
and winters – how true the claims are and how sustainable the
supply will be is anybody’s guess.
