The long-overdue government inquiry on fuel adulteration has not yet presented its report, and predictably, rampant mixing of diesel and petrol with subsidised kerosene goes on. (See Nepali Times, # 19). Since that appeared, we have learnt that six tankers fully laden with diesel that arrived at the Fuel Depot near the airport in Kathmandu from Amlekhganj on 3 March were found to have been mixed with over 50 percent kerosene. Usually the Nepal Oil Corporation looks the other way if the adulteration is "only" 30 percent. But this time, there was disagreement about the price with NOC officials, who reportedly refused to unload the fuel unless they were paid Rs 20,000 per tanker, according to NOC sources. Tanker owners said they would pay Rs 5,000 per vehicle, and the bargaining continued until drivers, loaders and the administrators at NOC's Fuel Depot all wanted their share. This pushed the price up to Rs 25,000 per tanker which the tanker owners had to reluctantly part with. When contacted, a senior official at the fuel depot, Kamal Dhungana told us: "We have no provision to return the fuel if it is adulterated." Which means the half-diesel, half-kerosene has now been "diluted" with the depot's 700,000 litre diesel tanks and passed on to gas stations in the capital. Next time you see thick black smoke billowing from the back of your fancy diesel four-wheel drive you know