Survey shows progress in access to electricity

KATHMANDU, Nov 22: A World Bank survey has showed that 95 out of 100 households in Nepal have access to electricity.

Similarly, 72 out of 100 households have access to reliable, affordable and uninterrupted access to electricity for a significant part of the day, marking remarkable progress over the past decade, according to a national survey conducted by the World Bank in 2017. 

Related story

Over 100,000 tourists visit Mustang in nine months

Despite progress on coverage and quality of electricity access, about the same number of households – 70 out of 100 – continue to use firewood and other polluting and harmful fuels for cooking in Nepal, the findings of the survey, which was  launched during the Power Summit 2019 on Thursday, show. 

The survey report notes that clean cooking still remains a challenge for Nepal despite progress in quality of electricity access. Firewood, which is polluting and causes a myriad of heath issues particularly for women and children, remains the most widely used source of cooking fuel, according to the report.

About 73.5% of households, which participated in the survey, said they cook with firewood, animal waste, crop residue or plant biomass. Less than 2 out of 10 households – about 17.5% – have access to modern cooking services, according to the survey report.