Operation records of Manakamana Darshan show that its expense for power alone has soared to Rs 3.5 million a month. It used to stand at a mere half million rupees during the time of normal power supply.
“Under normal circumstances, our electricity bill used to total Rs 500,000 a month. Now, because of the power crisis, it has risen to Rs 3.5 million,” D N Kayastha, station manager of Manakamana Darshan, told myrepublica.com.
And as if the regular load-shedding was not enough, power supply remains erratic even during non load-shedding hours. That has added to the company´s woes.
“Power fails even during minor storms. Because of sudden and frequent breakdowns we do not know when to switch off the generators. This has made operations difficult,” said Kayastha.
The company´s operation cost rises when the number of passengers goes up, said Kayastha, elaborating that increased load in the cable cars necessitates more power.
“If we have managed to continue operating, it is because the number of visitors to Manakamana has not decreased over this period. Otherwise, the situation would have been very different,” he said.
Manakamana Darshan charges Rs 350 per passenger for the service which links Kurintar along the Prithvi Highway with Manakamana Temple, a popular pilgrimage site across the Trishuli river in Gorkha district.
During load-shedding hours, the company operates the cable cars with a generator of 1,200 KVA capacity. When power supply is on, it receives the power through a separate, 1,000 KVA transformer.
At present, some 1,800 people reach Manakamana by cable car every day. The cable-based transport system has 31 cable cars in which 600 passengers can travel to and from the temple in one hour. Each cable car accommodates six passengers and covers the distance of three kilometers (one way) in 10 minutes.
The cable car system, the only one in Nepal, was installed with an investment of Rs 430 million. It commenced operation in 1998 and has been providing its service to about 600,000 people every year.
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