KATHMANDU, Sept 24: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has formed a five-member task force to manage electricity demand during the upcoming winter and ensure uninterrupted power supply following flood damage to more than 400 MW of hydropower-capacity projects in Rasuwa.
The task force was formed as part of the NEA’s preparations to meet the anticipated rise in electricity demand during the dry season, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas.
According to the NEA, a meeting chaired by Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha on Tuesday decided to accelerate studies and operational measures aimed at maintaining a reliable power supply during the winter.
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The five-member committee, coordinated by the director of the NEA’s Bagmati Provincial Office, has been tasked with monitoring demand and supply conditions and implementing necessary measures. It will submit daily progress reports to the executive director and immediately report any problems encountered during implementation.
The preparations follow the suspension of power generation at several hydropower plants in the Trishuli River basin following the devastating flood on August 26.
Although the disruption has placed additional pressure on electricity supply and demand management, Shrestha said there would be no load-shedding during the upcoming winter and that the authority was already taking measures to ensure adequate electricity supply.
The meeting also set deadlines for completing ongoing transmission and distribution projects in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas to strengthen the power network ahead of the dry season.
The NEA has also decided to explore options and initiate necessary measures to ensure reliable electricity supply to the flood-affected districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
Meanwhile, the government-owned power monopoly has mobilized a technical team to study the feasibility of bringing the flood-damaged Devighat substation back into operation.
