Urja Khabar
Kathmandu: With more than 400 MW of hydropower capacity wiped out by the Rasuwa floods, the Nepal Electricity Authority has formed a committee to devise measures to manage winter electricity demand and avert possible load-shedding.
According to the NEA, the formation of the task force is a part of its initiations for preparations to manage the anticipated rise in electricity demand—particularly in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas—during the upcoming dry season (winter). The authority stated that a meeting chaired by Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha on Tuesday, decided to accelerate the necessary studies and operational activities.
The five-member committee is coordinated by the NEA’s director for the Bagmati Provincial Office. It has been mandated to submit daily progress reports to the NEA’s Executive Director and to immediately report any issues encountered during implementation.
These preparations for managing electricity supply and demand during the coming winter were prompted by the suspension of power generation at hydroelectric plants in the region, following damage caused by floods in the Trishuli River (originated from the Bhotekoshi in Rasuwa district).
During the meeting, Executive Director Shrestha clarified that while the halt in generation from plants in the Trishuli River basin has placed some strain on supply-demand management, there will be no load-shedding—nor any need for it—during the upcoming winter. He stated that preparations to ensure a reliable power supply are already underway. The meeting also set deadlines for completing ongoing transmission and distribution projects in the Kathmandu Valley and adjacent areas.
Furthermore, a decision was made to discuss various options and initiate the necessary processes to ensure a reliable power supply for the flood-affected districts of Nuwakot and Rasuwa.
The NEA also reported that a team has been mobilized to conduct a field study regarding the feasibility of bringing the flood-damaged Devighat substation back into operation.
