By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Dec. 7: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has clarified that the problem of the frequent power outages in recent times was because of tripping and not load shedding.

Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the NEA has revealed that the ratio of power outages this year was lesser than in previous years.

Quoting Hitendra Dev Shakya, managing director of NEA, the press release mentioned that the authority had not imposed declared or undeclared load shedding, further clarifying that the authority had enough electricity to meet the demand of the system.

"The expansion of roads and drinking water system have damaged the underground electricity cables and the need of shifting the electricity poles and transformers of some places might have led to the frequent power outage in some areas," read the release.

According to the data collected by the NEA, the tripping of electricity had occurred 347 times in the Kathmandu Valley during the month of Mangsir.

Due to tripping in 14 substations in and around Kathmandu valley, the valley had suffered electricity outage for 22 hours. However, during Mangsir kast year, the power outage had taken place for 65 hours and the tripping had occurred 577 times.

The NEA claimed that efforts taken for the advancement of transmission and distribution lines and substations in order to provide a quality, reliable and adequate amount of electricity to the consumers had helped in minimising the problem of tripping. "In comparison to the previous years, the ratio of sudden power cut has decreased," said managing director Shakya.  

"If we look into the data, the frequency of tripping has decreased this year.  The efforts that were being taken from previous years and work were done during this year has given a positive result," said Shakya, requesting the consumers to not perceive sudden power cuts due to technical problems as load shedding.

"There is enough electricity in the system and the load shedding has already become our history. Thus, it is not necessary for the consumers to worry about load shedding anymore," he added.

Shakya said that works relating to identifying and improving the substation where most tripping occurs and shifting a load of such substation to others were going on with full swing.

"We are working to change the overloaded transformers, improve the electricity lines during holidays and so forth to improve the distribution of electricity, changing conductors, increasing the capacity of feeders and transformers," he added.

The NEA is working actively in regularising the distribution of electricity without power outage by carrying out necessary renovation works, the press statement mentioned.