Power outage to hit 16 hrs from Sunday

Power outage to hit 16 hrs from Sunday
ekantipur, 9-Jan-09
PRAGATI SHAHI

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has announced 16 hours load-shedding a day from Sunday, a jump of four hours from the present situation.

Sher Singh Bhat, director of NEA's Systems Operations Department on Friday said, “Due to the receding water level in run of rivers and Kulekhani Reservoir, NEA is not able to meet the demand and there is no option but to increase the power outage time,”.

The total power outage will be increased to 108 hours a week starting Sunday.

However, in order to support the operation of industries in the country, the government has decided to provide electricity to industrial estates declared by the government including Balaju, Pokhara, Bhirahawa, Butwal, Dharan and Biratnagar among others through separate feeders.

According to Bhat, all industrial estates that are under the government will be supplied electricity regularly for five days while the remaining two days of the week will be totally without electricity.

“If a particular feeder is used to supply to both the general public and industrial units, the factories will not get this facility,” Bhat said.

Bhat hopes there will be no further increase after the announcement of the 16 hour-load-shedding per day. “This is the climax of load-shedding for this winter,” he said. As per the new schedule, the NEA will cut power for 16 hours a day for six days a week and 12 hours on one particular day in the week.

He said, the water level in the rivers that earlier supplied 255-MW has now decreased to 230-MW.

Bhat said this schedule will apply in most parts of the country including Kathmandu and other major cities - Biratnagar, Pokhara, and Butwal.

The power outage in Hetauda-Birgunj area will be about 84 hours a week (12 hours a day) and it will be around 40 hours a week in some western districts.

The current morning, day/night and evening time power demand is 550 -MW, 480 -MW and 800-MW respectively. Likewise, supply during the morning, day/night and evening is 260-MW, 260-MW and 326-MW respectively.

According to him, the 70 MW Mid-Marshyangdi Hydro Electric Project will generate electricity in the next two weeks and the government is working to import 80-MW from India through Koshi-Kattaiya transmission line by mid February.

“If the government succeeds in importing the 80-MW from India and the Mid Marsyangdi starts to generate electricity then load shedding hrs will be substantially decreased in the coming months,” said Bhat.