KATHMANDU, April 22: Even though Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal recently announced that Nepal will become an electricity exporting country in the next two years, load shedding is taking place in the country unabated.
Industrialists have said that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is cutting power for more than 12 hours a day in the industrial area. They claim that there is load shedding in the country's industrial sector.
Due to the dry weather, the water level in the rivers has decreased and the electricity production has been reduced. However, even common people have started complaining about the lack of regular supply of electricity in their households.
Meanwhile, the industrialists allege that the authority's managing director Kulman Ghising is cutting off the electricity of the industry and giving it to the common people only, fearing that there will be a protest against him and the loss of the reputation he earned earlier.
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Similarly, after the electricity authority did not provide electricity to the industries for 12 hours, the industrialists are demanding a load shedding schedule. The industrialist complains that the authority refuses to publish the load shedding schedule. The industrialists of Biratnagar, who have been troubled by unannounced power cuts in the industry, have started a movement.
Due to the regular issue of power supply, the Morang Merchants Association has planned to picket the Duhabi Grid Branch of NEA on Sunday. The association said that due to the irregular, inadequate and unscheduled power supply at present, the industrialists as well as the general public are panicking.
They also claimed that due to lack of regular power supply, the industries are now facing huge financial losses. Industrialists allege that the authority has not taken concrete steps to supply electricity regularly despite drawing its attention time and again.
Likewise, industrialists also lamented that they are hit hard by the high interest rates and unannounced load shedding. Chairman of Sarada Group Shiva Ratan Sarada said that industrialists who are facing exorbitant interest rates of banks have been hit by 12-hour long power cut every day. The cost of production of the industry has increased after 12 hours of daily load shedding.
He mentioned that Shivam Cement Limited in Hetaunda is producing cement by operating a generator. “Due to the increase in the price of petroleum products in the international market, the production cost of the industry has also increased,” he said.
According to Sarada, the cost of one sack of cement has increased by Rs 70. He said that after the increase in the cost of production, the consumer will suffer as well.
Meanwhile, according to the authority, the maximum electricity demand is 1,825 megawatts during peak hours. Out of which 533 MW electricity is being imported from India. Similarly, 1,291 megawatts are being supplied by the NEA and private companies.
The authority said that the connected capacity of electricity has increased to 2,650 megawatts. Last year, the authority earned Rs 11 billion by selling 415 megawatts of electricity to India. Now with the same money, electricity is being imported from India.
