NEA planning to increase load-shedding hours from next week

Kathmandu November 16- The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been considering extending the load-shedding hours as demand for electricity has been swelling significantly with the approach of the winter season. The new schedule will be released next week.

The state-owned power company said it could lengthen the hours of rolling blackouts slightly from the current six hours a day. “We will try to maintain the maximum load-shedding hours at 10 hours this winter,” said Mukesh Raj Kafle, managing director of the NEA.

Due to the closure of factories in the Tarai as a result of the banda called by Madhes-based parties, power demand from the industrial sector has dropped sharply, according to the NEA. Last year, the maximum load-shedding was 12 hours a day. As almost all the hydropower projects in the country are run-of-the-river types and their power generation falls sharply in the winter with a reduced flow of water in the rivers, power shortages have become a normal phenomenon in the country in the cold months.

The expected increase in the power shortage this winter will be especially hard on the people as many have been depending on electricity to cook their food after LPG shipments from India stopped due to an undeclared blockade. “There is no match in the demand and supply ratio of energy. However, we will be making every possible effort to keep load-shedding hours on the lower side,” said Mukesh Raj Kafle, managing director of the NEA. According to him, the state-owned agency is planning to keep load-shedding under 10 hours. “However, we can only do this if things move as per our plan.” Source: TKP