By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 24: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has reduced the electricity leakage in distribution to 9.10 per cent in the first five months of the current fiscal year 2021/22.
The power utility has reduced the accumulated leakage by 2.82 per cent in distribution during the first five months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last fiscal year thanks to the regular campaign for power supply and control of technical and non-technical leakages.

The leakage in distribution by the first five month of last fiscal year (till December) was 11.92 per cent.
The largest part of the power leakage was noticed in distribution system. The NEA has set a target to reduce the overall system leakage to 15.5 per cent and distribution leakage to 9.5 per cent in the current fiscal year.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that the entire team was mobilised to bring down the leakage less than the target by making the technical and non-technical leakage control steps more effective.
 Ghising said that the leakage fell due to the completion of construction of new substations, upgrading of existing substations, increase in power consumption in the industrial areas and reduction in unit billing of customers by making meter reading more effective.

"The leakage has been reduced due to regular monitoring and action to control power theft, including hooking, strengthening of overloaded substations and construction of new substations, changing of conductors and transformers and other works," he said. "Once the summer season starts, the leakage may increase again, so work is being done to reduce the leakage below the target."

Highest power leakage in Madhes Province
Among the distribution centres under the NEA's seven provincial offices and two provincial division offices, the highest power leakage is recorded under the Provincial Office, Janakpur of Madhes Province.
The overall electricity leakage of 23 distribution centres under the Provincial Office of Janakpur was 12.99 per cent.
It was 17.36 per cent during the first five months of the previous year. The Malangawa distribution centre in Sarlahi has the highest leakage of 43.82 per cent, said the NEA.
Last year, the power leakage in Malangawa distribution centre was 10.17 per cent.

The power leakage at Simraungadh distribution centre in Bara is 39.80 per cent. Last year, the leakage rate there was 53.07 per cent.
The leakage of Jaleshwor distribution centre in Mahottari has fallen to 37.61 per cent. The leakage of electricity at Simara distribution centre in Bara is 0.48 per cent due to the large number of industrial customers.

The Inaruwa distribution centre in Sunsari has the highest leakage of electricity among the 24 distribution centres under the Provincial Office of Province-1, Biratnagar.
The power leakage of this centre is 24.81 per cent.
Out of the six distribution centres under the Provincial Division Office Hetauda under Bagmati Province, Palung distribution centre has the highest leakage at 30.11 per cent.
Of the 20 distribution centres under the Bagmati Provincial Office, Kathmandu, Sindhupalchowk distribution centre has the highest leakage of 31.93 per cent.
Likewise, the leakage of electricity at Helambu distribution centre in Sindhupalchowk is 30.78 per cent.

Of the 13 distribution centres under the Gandaki Provincial Office Pokhara, the highest leakage is in the Myagdi distribution centre. The leakage of the centre has dropped to 15.55 per cent this year from 18.92 per cent last year.
Out of the 11 distribution centres under the Lumbini Provincial Office Butwal, the highest leakage is 25.56 per cent in Kapilvastu’s Taulihawa distribution centre.

 Out of the 14 distribution centres under the Provincial Division Office Nepalgunj under Lumbini Province, the highest power leakage is 19.42 per cent in Pyuthan distribution centre.
The Rukum (West) distribution centre has the highest leakage among the 11 distribution centres under the Karnali Provincial Office Surkhet. The leakage of the centre has dropped to 27.13 per cent this year from 31.25 per cent last year.

Achham distribution centre has the highest leakage among the 11 distribution centres under the Sudurpashchim Provincial Office Attaria. The leakage of the centre, which was 18 per cent last year, has further increased to 20.44 per cent this year.