Kathmandu — Kulman Ghising, Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), clarified that technical issues have caused power cuts in industries, but the situation does not yet amount to load shedding.
In a discussion with the Nepal News Agency, Managing Director Ghising explained that the power supply to industries in the Birgunj and Butwal areas had been interrupted due to ongoing repairs of transmission lines in those regions. He further elaborated that power imports from India are restricted during peak hours, which is another factor contributing to the cuts.
Electricity imports from India are not allowed during high consumption periods, particularly between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., he said. Ghising also highlighted that the electricity supply has been affected by damage caused by floods in the Upper Tamakoshi area last year. The Upper Tamakoshi project, with a capacity of 456 megawatts, is still under repair. Ghising added that it will take an additional 5 to 6 months for the project to be fully operational.
He noted that the current load shedding issue will be resolved once the Upper Tamakoshi project is functioning at full capacity.
At present, Ghising stated that the country is producing 1,600 megawatts of electricity, while the demand stands at 1,900 megawatts. As a result, industries have been forced to cut power supply to manage the imbalance between supply and demand, ensuring that households do not face electricity shortages. He acknowledged that while there are other transmission issues, the primary cause of the problem is the lack of generation from Upper Tamakoshi.
We are working to resolve the issue of power cuts in industries, Ghising said, adding that it is currently not feasible to provide electricity to consumers without cutting power to industries during peak hours in the dry season.