KATHMANDU, March 19: Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka has said that Nepal will experience power outages in the evening. Addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday, he announced that the government can no longer prevent load shedding.
"Currently, Nepal is importing 830 MW of electricity from India, while our domestic production is around 1,000 MW. Given the demand, power cuts in households during the evening are inevitable," Khadka said.
Despite past efforts to end load shedding through electricity imports from India, Minister Khadka admitted that the situation is now unsustainable. He also dismissed claims that Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising was responsible for eliminating load shedding, crediting private sector investments and Indian electricity imports instead.
There will be no load-shedding now: NEA
"The illusion of an end to load shedding was due to electricity imports and private sector involvement. Kulman Ghising is not the hero of a brighter Nepal," he said, adding, "Instead, we should thank India and the private sector."
Minister Khadka accused Ghising of misleading the public by prioritizing household electricity supply while cutting power to industries.
He further revealed that the state-owned NEA currently produces only 700 MW of electricity, while the private sector generates 2,800 MW. However, even with these combined efforts, power shortages persist.
"The NEA, despite being fully government-funded, generates only 700 MW. Private producers contribute 2,800 MW, yet electricity supply remains inadequate. There were power cuts in the past, and they continue today," Khadka said.
He also refuted claims that the NEA is operating at a profit, asserting that such statements are misleading.
