NEA to introduce load-shedding from January

Owing to receding water levels in rivers and streams, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is introducing winter load-shedding from early January, according to reports.

Efforts to avoid imminent load-shedding have ended, with the NEA not able to meet the demand either from import, pilferage control or tapping captive energy.

This is the first time the country will be facing load-shedding since the 144 megawatt Kali Gandaki ‘A’ became operational in 2002.

“We are not in a position to avert the load-shedding. This has been guided along by the flow and volume of rivers, which have been tapped by a number of hydroelectricity stations. We could go for it any day,” the Himalayan Times quoted NEA Managing Director, Harish Chandra Shah as saying.

Meanwhile, the decline in the flow and volume of water has worsened in the Himalayan region where major snow-fed rivers and their tributaries emanate.

While, NEA is still finalizing the exact load-shedding schedule, Sher Singh Bhat, the chief of the Load Dispatch Centre (LDC), said “We certainly have reached the eleventh hour before we start shedding load. However a final decision has to come from the top. But that depends on reports from the respective power stations.”

With water levels continuing to recede for the next three months, the load-shedding will last till April end as there was no additional power project in the pipeline except the 70 megawatt Middle Marsyangdhi project, to be operational by the end of 2007.

The country is importing 70 megawatt electricity from India. nepalnews.com pb Dec 28 05

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