Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has officially released a load-shedding schedule, confirming planned daily power outages of up to six hours in parts of the country, starting with Chitwan.
After weeks of unannounced power cuts, the NEA has now formally introduced a load-shedding schedule, beginning with Chitwan district. According to the schedule published by the NEA’s Chanauli Distribution Center, consumers in Chitwan will face electricity outages twice a day, totaling six hours daily.
The NEA attributed the load-shedding to increased power demand from irrigation users due to extreme heat and lack of monsoon rainfall during the critical paddy planting season. The Chanauli center stated that power supply will be interrupted in areas fed by the Narayani–Madi, Meghauli–Vijaynagar–Shukranagar, and Jagatpur–Rampur feeders.
Power Cut Timings by Feeder: Narayani–Madi: 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Meghauli–Vijaynagar–Shukranagar: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Jagatpur–Rampur: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM
NEA has stated that the schedule is temporary and may be revised depending on weather conditions and electricity demand. However, the announcement has sparked widespread concern among the public, who had not experienced scheduled power cuts for years.
Public scrutiny has intensified since Hitendra Dev Shakya assumed leadership as NEA’s Executive Director. His tenure has seen the return of systematic power outages, reversing the zero load-shedding status declared under former director Kulman Ghising. Critics have accused Shakya of prioritizing the interests of inverter and generator traders, a charge he has not publicly addressed.
Despite previously assuring the public that there was no need for load-shedding and that only occasional technical issues were responsible for power interruptions, Shakya has now authorized a formal schedule, triggering strong backlash from affected communities.
Attempts to contact Shakya for comment were unsuccessful.
The reintroduction of scheduled power cuts has raised concerns over NEA’s management and energy preparedness, especially during peak agricultural seasons and amid rising temperatures.
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