The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) announced load-shedding of up to 14 hours a day from Monday, increasing the power cuts to 88 hours a week. The consumers had earlier been facing 10 hours of daily power cuts.

According to the new schedule published by NEA, people will have to face 10 hours of load-shedding on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday; 12 hours on Wednesday and Saturday and 14 hours on Thursday and Friday.

However, NEA said that depending upon the condition, load-shedding could increase/decrease by one hour.

It said that the load-shedding will be two more hours in the areas of the feeders where 40 to 50 per cent of electricity leakage is recorded.

Similarly, the load-shedding will be three more hours in the areas of the feeders where more than 50 per cent of electricity leakage is recorded.

NEA officials said  they are compelled to increase power cuts because of reduced flow of water in major rivers (owing to winter) that has decreased capacity of some of its power plants.

NEA officials project that power outage could increase to 19 hours a day as winter peaks. Nepalnews.com