Figures behind load shedding free Kathmandu
KATHMANDU, Jan 18: Kathmandu has become a load shedding free city. This can be credited to present Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda led government, Electricity Minister Janardan Sharma, Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Kulman Ghishing and neighboring country India.
Unquestionably, the load shedding free campaign did start after the Prachanda led government came into power. The government has served as an example of ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’ Besides, it is also obvious that the Indian government did provide great aid in making our capital a load shedding free capital.
Prime Minister of India had made commitment to supply as much electricity as needed to Nepal. And of course, he not only promised but employed it into effect too.
While the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was in visit to India, Indian PM Modi – while addressing a joint press conference–had promised KP Oli to take Nepal-India bi-lateral relationship to a new height and agreed to supply 80 megawatt electricity in Nepal.
Then a team of Ambassador of India to Nepal Ranjit Rae, DCM Binaya Kumar, Head of political beauro Gopal Krishna and Business councilor Ram Prasad had prepared a detailed report on ‘how Nepal could be made load shedding free’ to further contribute the campaign. The remarkable contribution and diplomatic success of Ambassador Rae should not be forgotten.
India’s Minister of External Affairs of India Sushma Swaraj, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal, Home Minister Rajnan Singh also had important role in making of electricity availability in Nepal.
From Nepal government’s side, the initiation of Energy Minister Janardan Sharma appointing Kulman Ghishing as the managing director of NEA for the work can be considered an invaluable step. Electricity leakage has been controlled now. Some domestic merchants were involved in electricity crime before. Also that solar, inverter, generator industrialist and other business persons were playing roles in causing load shedding. Minister Sharma had taken such brave step ignoring to fall into lucrative deals.
Currently, in order to fulfill the supply demands of electricity around Nepal, the government is working on bringing about 500 megawatts of electricity into Nepal.
Managing Director Ghising had already told in a public program. “There might be load shedding in some parts of Terai during winter, or might be not. 500 megawatt from India is sufficient for us.”
The infrastructures such as transmission line, sub-station has already been constructed. The Electricity Authority’s load shedding free campaign is now believed to become a success. Energy Minister Sharma has become famous in Kathmandu. He has also instructed the related bodies to work on making as much profit for Nepal Electricity Authority as it could become able to distribute bonuses.
He has claimed this success was due to his daring nature of public commitment, the right mobilization of available resources and manpower correcting past drawbacks, and controlling of electricity leakage.
Many people also claim that load shedding was ended because of imported electricity and utilization of reserved water from Kulekhani. Some credit it to Mujaffpur-Dhalkebar intercountry transmission line through which 80 megawatt supply was added.
Khimti Dhalkebar transmission line—construction of which was obstructed over the last 11 years due to several reasons– has completed and started its test transmission. As the transmission line is complete, supplying of the imported electricity from India into Kathmandu through Dhalkeb-Khimti-Lamosangu has become easier. After the project completes, the extra 40 megawatt electricity due to be imported from Magh 16 will be facilitated.
Finally, Nepal government and Indian government both are credited to forming such excellent plan to make Kathmandu and as well as Nepal load shedding free.