Kathmandu — Entrepreneurs from the eastern region have urged the Nepal Electricity Authority to be more sensitive regarding the frequent power tripping that has been occurring in the industrial sector for a long time. They stated that despite repeatedly raising complaints with the concerned authorities, the issue has not been addressed and they have only received assurances so far.
With the onset of the monsoon season, industrialists and entrepreneurs of the Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor, who were assured of increased electricity production and uninterrupted supply, are now suffering due to frequent daily power tripping, according to a statement issued by the Morang Industrial Association.
While the Nepal Electricity Authority is exporting electricity to India and Bangladesh, domestic industries are suffering from prolonged power cuts due to frequent tripping, said Nand Kishor Rathi, President of Morang. “Frequent daily tripping has damaged industrial machinery, led to wastage of raw materials during production, forced employers to retain idle workers, and increased production costs due to the need to operate generators,” the statement mentioned. “Despite repeatedly raising these concerns with the concerned authorities, no concrete steps have been taken to resolve the issue.”
Rathi stated that, contrary to the hopes of industrialists and entrepreneurs for uninterrupted power supply in the industrial corridor with the onset of the monsoon, their disappointment has been growing due to the frequent power tripping occurring multiple times a day.
He stated that industries have suffered significant financial losses due to power shortages during the dry season and frequent tripping during the monsoon. He urged the Nepal Electricity Authority to be more sensitive and to work toward a long-term solution to the problems seen in electricity supply.
The organization expressed regret that, despite repeatedly drawing the attention of the Authority—along with data on the financial losses faced by industries every year due to power supply disruptions during the dry season—no concrete plan for a solution has been presented by the regulatory body. He questioned, “Who will take responsibility for this?”
Chairman Rathi urged that work should begin now to resolve the current problem of power tripping and to address the potential electricity shortage that may arise in the upcoming dry season.
Source: Kantipur
