NEA to impose load shedding for 40 hours a week

Pointing to the rapid recession of water level at the only reservoir-type hydro power project Kulekhani, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to impose 40 hours of load shedding a week per household beginning Thursday.

According to reports, there will be seven hours of load shedding every day in every household for four days; six hours of load shedding for two days and no power cut for one day. In the coming months the load shedding hours could be further increased.

Sher Singh Bhat, the director of Load Dispatch Center of NEA, has informed that if no new power is added, the load shedding hours could reach up to 12 hours a day next year during this period.

Outside Kathmandu valley, the NEA will impose 21-27 hours of load shedding every week.

The crippling hours of load shedding have been imposed due to rapid recession of water level at Indrasarovar reservoir in Kulekhani, according to officials. The water level has come down by 14 meters to 1509 meters in recent weeks. The power generation could come to a grinding halt once the level reaches down to 1483 meters, say reports. Kulekhani I & II generate 92 MW of power in total. The NEA is heavily dependant on this project during winter and dry season when the water current in the rivers slow down substantially leading to severe cut down of generation capability of run-of-the-river type hydropower projects.

The country currently has the total installed capacity of 615 MW during wet season. While the demand for power is increasing by ten percent a year, the generation of power has remained stagnant for the past few years. The only under construction project at present is the middle Marsyangdi project (70 MW), which is not likely to come into operation before next year. nepalnews.com sd Feb 14 07