Ensuring round the clock power supply in a year possible (Analysis)

Ramesh Lamsal / Kathmandu: Although Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli recently announced to rid the country of power outage within one year, the statement is in question considering that many under-construction hydropower projects across the country have been affected due to the blockade imposed by India and ongoing agitations in the southern plains.

Besides, construction of some others had already been affected due to the devastating April 25 earthquakes.

Moreover, the problem has been coupled due to the obstructions in the supply of construction materials, following agitations and the blockade. Likewise, some other hydropower projects announced by the government are yet to be implemented due to a lack of effective plans, programmes and investments.

It may be noted four hydropower projects initiated by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) have been badly affected by the quake. Furthermore, the Upper Trisuli 3A Hydropower project, Kulekhani III, Rahughat and Chameliya that were initiated by the NEA have been affected due to various reasons.

Similarly, construction of the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project by the subsidiary company of NEA, the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower has been affected due to a lack of fuel.

Nevertheless, a section of people argue that the ambitious plan of the government to relieve the country of load shedding within the next twelve months could be materialised had there been some programmes and policies in place.

CPN-UML leader and former Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari said that the country would become free of load shedding if the government goes ahead with necessary programmes, policies and plans in hand after declaring the energy sector in a state of crisis.

Reminding that he forwarded necessary programmes and policies with a deadline while declaring the country energy crisis in 2065 BS, Adhikari suggested the government to follow the policy and programmes he had forwarded.

He said that the government’s plan could be materialised once a high-level commission with deadline is formed to foil works of hydro mafia, formulate rule and laws with time and make NEA effective. Adhikari said that the government could facilitate the process to encourage foreign and domestic investments in hydropower.

Besides, he added that local VDC, DDC, community schools and cooperatives could be encouraged to initiate hydropower project by giving them subsidy.

Similarly, Shailendra Guragain, Vice Chairman of the Independent Power Producers Association, Nepal (IPPAN) viewed that the country could be rid of power cuts within one year had there been effective plans in place.

Saying that the documents related to energy crisis forwarded by former Finance Minister Adhikari was effective, he said that the country will witness a sea change in terms of energy if under construction 216 mega watts hydropower project and 1000 mega watts various hydropower projects which are in pipeline for construction are completed.

Minister for Energy and Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said that the government, with necessary policy, programmes, plan and investment in hand, is working towards riding Nepal of load shedding and making the country self-dependence in terms of energy.

He said that the government plans to move ahead with a deadline to implement the government’s plan after correcting past shortcomings. RSS