KATHMANDU, March 20: A day after Nepal's Energy Minister confirmed the return of power cuts, the government has formally requested India to supply 230 MW of electricity during evening hours.
The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation made the request via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which conveyed the proposal to the Indian Embassy. Facing increasing load-shedding in industries, Nepal has sought India’s assistance in providing electricity between 6 pm and 10 pm.
The request comes in the wake of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka’s announcement on March 19, where he informed the National Assembly that Nepal would face evening power cuts due to supply shortages. Khadka acknowledged that the government could no longer avert load-shedding, as both domestic production and imports from India were falling short of meeting the growing demand.
"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 had said.
Nepal exports electricity worth Rs 8.32 billion to India
Despite past efforts to end load shedding through imports, Khadka acknowledged that the situation was unsustainable. He also dismissed claims that Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising was solely responsible for eliminating load shedding, instead crediting Indian imports and private sector investments.
"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 sectors."
The March 20 request to India is seen as an effort to address the escalating crisis. Currently, Nepal’s industrial sector faces up to 12 hours of daily load-shedding. Although Nepal imports over 700 MW of electricity from India daily, India has restricted supply to only between 6 am and 6 pm, affecting industries.
Energy Minister Khadka said that hydropower generation in Nepal declines during the dry season, making evening supply from India necessary.
"This request aims to support both household consumers and industries," Minister Khadka said, "There are positive signals, and we hope for a resolution soon."
Likewise, Foreign Minister Dr Arzu Rana has already urged Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to ease the evening electricity supply, and the Indian Embassy is coordinating with the Indian government.
According to the Energy Ministry, Nepal’s hydropower projects are mostly ‘run-of-the-river,’ reducing production to 1,000 MW during the dry season. Due to this, Nepal is prioritizing large-scale hydropower projects for long-term stability.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is working to procure electricity from India's exchange market to meet internal demand. However, since imports are only allowed during ‘solar hours,’ industries continue to face load-shedding challenges.
If India agrees to supply 230 MW in the evening, Nepal’s industrial sector will get significant relief, according to the Energy Ministry.
