By Akanshya Shah

Kathmandu residents will now face a loadshedding of up to eight hours within few days. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has said that the loadshedding in the valley may rise anywhere between six to eight hours within the next few days. However, the systems department of NEA has yet to work out a new loadshedding schedule.

“Situation is not good, so we will have to increase the power cut timing for sure,” Sher Singh Bhat, Director of Systems Operation Department at NEA, said.

He added that the decision to this effect will be taken on Tuesday as NEA is currently working out detail of the demand and supply to increase the loadshedding.

The Ministry of Energy sources, on the other hand, told myrepublica.com on Sunday that loadshedding will reach eight hours at least by the end of the week as per NEA´s own plan. “NEA is now looking at seven to eight hours, not just six,” a ministry source said on condition of anonymity.

As per the NEA´s monthly load-shedding projection for the winter brought out earlier last month, the projection for the month of Poush was seven hours. The NEA officials have thus said that the need for increase in loadshedding is as per the projection and the ongoing demand.

The increase in loadshedding hours will also be contingent upon import of additional power from India . As per the initial plan, Nepal was to import 125 MW of additional power from India , especially from the West Bengal state of India , as Bihar state is itself facing an acute shortage of electricity supply. A price of IRs 8 per unit was fixed for the same. But now even the price has gone up.

“Power from India can no longer be bought now at IRs 8, it has gone up to IRs 12 to 13,” the ministry source said, adding, “NEA is still negotiating the price.”

With the government´s plan to put in place a new thermal plant from Germany in limbo, and its plan to upgrade the existing thermal plants in the country and generate 25 MW more from them also uncertain, the loadshedding in the driest month may now be more than 12 hours a day by the driest month beginning Chaitra.
 
The Rising Nepal