A few months back, Republica had an excellent editorial which argued that in spite of political uncertainties the Nepali society can still progress. The editor stated that India has achieved so much because private companies took the initiatives. The billionaires India produced didn’t rely on their government. Zealous individuals launched ahead, and took their country forward. We Nepalis have more reason for self-help. For the last six months, we haven’t had a government.
This write-up humbly suggests how you and I may beat the present curse—the perpetual load shedding, which may soon increase to 14 hours per day or more. The 2008 winter took all of us by surprise. We had daily blackouts up to 18 hours. During those cold, dark months, my wife had to cook by candle light. I used a computer UPS to light an 8 watt CFL lamp. The UPS’s battery could never charge fully because of the lengthy power cuts. The initial 40 minutes of light dwindled to 15. No more reading at night! With no children (they have left the nest) in our house, my wife and I talked just to kill time.
By May 2009, the weather got warmer. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) reduced the load shedding when snow melted and rivers had more water to run the turbines. With the start of the monsoon after mid-June, we had just the daily two hours without electricity. Then the government acted as if the rains wouldn’t end, and the dry season wouldn’t recur.
The Americans have volunteerism in their blood. We Nepalis could learn self-help. We can’t hope on our governments, yet we aren’t hopeless. Let’s make a belated New Year resolution—next winter, we’ll beat this dreaded load shedding!
Newspapers and magazines suggested that the NEA could almost abolish load shedding by stopping the 25 percent leakage, rampant in villages, especially in the Tarai. Some even proposed that merely stopping the leakage would equal building a moderately sized hydro-electric plant. Evidently, the government and NEA are either blind; or open their eyes only when projects offer hefty commissions. The leakage persists. One NEA employee rebuked Janakpuris for "hooking" to steal electricity. He got a beating; and the matter ended there, proving that in reality we’ve no government or “security" forces to deal with such rowdies.
Our energy ministers have gone on futile, foreign junkets to study how to tackle the electricity crisis. They merely returned after having paid holidays. PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal went to India and Europe, evidently for the same purpose. He too learned that bombing hydro-electric plants during his so-called "people’s war" is much easier than building them during peace time. Besides, the Maoists have obstructed any power project that had Indian involvement. Experts rightly predict that load shedding will continue for another 15/20 years. Some reading this essay will die during hours of NEA induced darkness!
During the 2008 winter, I couldn’t study when I wanted; and my wife, carrying a candle, fumbled around the house. I’d make 2009 winter different. How? By using solar power. Our country has plenty of sunlight. My bitter experience with an inverter during the previous year had taught me that going for bigger storage batteries would offer no lasting solution.
One internet service provider told me that his company could give 24 hours service only because he had installed generators to charge his batteries when NEA power simply didn’t suffice.
After studying various solar panel suppliers, I settled on the Solar Complex in Bagbazaar, near the PK campus. The company has a do-it-yourself policy, which meant that it could sell a 130 watt solar panel, a 160 watt battery, and 10 mini tube lights with accessories for Rs 80,000. (Now, the price has come down to Rs 74,000.) Working alone during non-office hours, I took about a month to install the solar panel on the roof and do the necessary house wiring. Then, my family could look forward to winter 2009.
By December 2009, we had about 12 hours of daily power cuts. Once the solar panel went up, no more emergency torches to carry around. No more candles in the kitchen and dining room. We could read at will, listen to the radio, and I could shave at 4 AM. However, one major problem cropped up. The desktop computer wouldn’t run more than an hour.
After the solar panel system functioned well at home for a year, I had sufficient courage to ask my organization’s board that we install a similar set at office. But, the desktop computers would have to go. I had never preferred a laptop. I found its screen too small. Friends using it said that they had to throw away the entire machine once it got bad. However, a laptop could work on solar power; and that feature alone made it attractive. Thus, my office sold seven desktop computers that could run only Windows XP (not the latest Windows 7). The sale-money just sufficed for one laptop! Gradually, we acquired other machines. In December 2010, the solar panel went on the roof. Thus, our office too began beating NEA’s load shedding. Now, whenever power goes off, a staff runs to turn on the inverter to power all the laptops we use. Whenever the sun shines, a pleasant thought runs through my mind—the batteries are charging!
God helps those who help themselves. Students can spend half a million rupees (of their parents’ money) on a motorcycle. They could sacrifice much less on a solar panel set, study for exams during nights, use laptops for computing, stop repeating the hackneyed expression that Nepal stands second in water resources, and avoid cursing the government for those dark hours.
Cursing the government has its limits—it’s deaf. Our kings after 1950 could’ve served their subjects better. They didn’t, and now remain only in history books. After democratic uprisings in 1990/2006, we placed a lot of hope on our prime ministers. All have disappointed us. Although a staunch democrat, Girija Prasad Koirala had the overarching ambition of making his daughter the first woman prime minister. We still suffer the consequences. Sher Bahadur Deuba taught us the Pajero culture, horse-trading and started the tradition of the jumbo cabinet; but now wants to be the PM-candidate again (instead of Ram Chandra Paudel). Madhav Kumar has the dubious distinctions of blocking the Arun III mega hydro-electric project during the 1990s, leading the most expensive government, and proving to be totally spineless on disciplining his ministers. We needn’t mention the ex-Panchayat PM’s or Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who changes his word every day. Placing hopes in our future PMs or governments equals chasing mirages. We better fend for ourselves.
The Americans have volunteerism in their blood. We Nepalis could learn self-help. We can’t hope on our governments, yet we aren’t hopeless. Let’s make a belated New Year resolution—next winter, we’ll beat this dreaded load shedding!
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