Kathmandu, September 30
The devastating Bhotekoshi River flood damaged various hydropower projects, taking 430 megawatts of electricity off the national transmission system. The government has since moved to arrange alternative management, officials at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said.
With the flood blocking power coming through the Trishuli corridor to Balaju and Chabahil in Kathmandu, ministry officials said work on alternative arrangements is under way.
Ministry spokesperson Mohan Kumar Shakya said that after the Bhotekoshi flood disrupted power from the Trishuli corridor, pressure has built on the Balaju and Chabahil transmission lines. He said the ministry has moved ahead with work to develop an alternative supply system, and that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has formed a task force to work on it.
Talks held with KMC
The ministry held discussions on Tuesday with the Department of Roads and Kathmandu Metropolitan City on building additional underground grids. The NEA has moved ahead with building more underground grids as part of its alternative winter management plan.
Spokesperson Shakya said the discussions covered improving the reliability of the underground alternative power grid in certain areas, building additional underground grids, and winter electricity management with a fixed timeline, in coordination with the Department of Roads and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
At the meeting, Department of Roads Kathmandu Division chief Subodh Devkota pledged the necessary support and cooperation from the department’s side for building the underground grid.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s Public Construction Department chief Suresh Kumar Rai also said he would extend the needed cooperation while managing underground wiring within footpaths.
NEA Project Directorate chief Durgananda Badiyat said the authority would further streamline the underground wiring work under way within Kathmandu Valley, and work closely with the Distribution and Customer Service Directorate to meet winter demand-management needs.
Bagmati Distribution and Customer Directorate chief Munindra Thakur made a presentation at the discussion on Kathmandu’s load management and related tasks, saying the NEA has formed a task force to carry forward winter demand-management work.
NEA board member Anshu Kiran Shahi said high-level cooperation and support from all agencies is needed to manage Kathmandu’s winter power demand. She said coordination with the ministry is continuing to address winter power pressure through smooth management.
