Solve Intermittent Power Outage Problem

In Nepal, people have been facing intermittent power outages for years, although load-shedding was eliminated in 2017. Such power outages are attributed to several factors. Technical glitches in the national grid are the main culprit. Internal electrical problems such as a tripped circuit breaker, faulty appliances and loose or damaged wiring are responsible for power cuts. Likewise, external factors like adverse weather conditions – storms, floods and landslides – may damage the power grid. Downed power lines and damaged electrical infrastructure or equipment are also responsible for frequent power cuts. In a similar vein, defective power stations and damage to transmission lines, substations or other parts of the distribution system are also to blame.

In recent floods and landslides, some hydropower projects and infrastructure were damaged. These projects and infrastructure need to be repaired immediately, failing which, there may be a problem in the supply of electricity. Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kul Man Ghising has already directed the concerned to repair them forthwith. He also instructed the concerned to heed attention to constructing the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV and Hetauda-Dhalkebar 400 kV transmission lines.  

Transient fault

Power outages may be transient. A fault on the transmission line, for example, a short circuit or flashover (a high-voltage short circuit), may cause a transient fault. A drop in the voltage of power may give rise to a brownout. Equipment cannot work properly under a brownout. Sometimes, total loss of power occurs, a phenomenon called a blackout. A blackout occurs in large areas for a long period of time. Power stations face difficulty restoring power. When demand exceeds supply to a large extent, a rolling blackout may take place. The country experienced a rolling blackout (load shedding) until Kul Man Ghising, now the Energy Minister, took over the reins of the NEA in September 2016.   

Although intermittent power outages may take place during the maintenance of transmission lines or transformers, the recurring problem of power outages besetting the country is related to the faulty grid and distribution systems. There should be a balance between the demand and supply of electricity. When demand surges and cannot be met, there occurs an electrical overload occurs. An overload may damage components of an electrical network. A network component shutting down may give rise to current fluctuations in neighbouring segments of the network, resulting in cascading failure, which may affect buildings, a block of buildings, an entire city or village or even the entire electrical grid. 

Faulty transformers are equally responsible for power outages in the country. Transformers may malfunction owing to technical glitches, adverse weather conditions such as lightning strikes and an overload. When transformers fail to function well, the flow of electricity gets disrupted. Old equipment and a lack of proper maintenance may lead to defects in transformers. Such equipment needs to be either repaired immediately or replaced with new equipment. The Nepal Electricity Authority also admits to this. Transformer failure at the Dhalkebar Substation in April 2025 affected many districts, including Dhanusha, Mahottari and Sarlahi. 

Likewise, transformer failure in Tanahun led to power cuts in Tanahun, Lamjung and Gorkha in October 2025. A lightning strike in Sindhuli in April 2018 disrupted power for several days in many municipalities. It may be noted that over 500 transformers – including 90 in the Kathmandu Valley- were damaged beyond repair in 2015, when the country was reeling from the implicit embargo at the hands of India. This resulted in a loss of over Rs. 150 million. 

When the transmission system becomes old or outdated, it cannot support fluctuating demand for power. In such a situation, new or improved wiring should be used by discarding old wiring. Likewise, old or poor-quality transformers should be replaced with new, quality ones. It may be noted that there were huge irregularities reported in the purchase of transformers over a decade ago, a scam involving Rs. 500 million. The NEA filed cases against 60 people. The Special Court ruled against the culprits, including high-ranking officials and employees at the NEA, as well as representatives from Chinese and Thai companies. This is a flagrant example of how corruption prevails at the expense of public interests. 

There are intermittent power outages, not because there is a shortage of electricity but because of technical and other issues. In fact, there has been tremendous improvement in the hydropower sector. Power supply is sufficient for domestic use. The country has begun exporting surplus electricity to India and Bangladesh. Since the beginning of this fiscal year, electricity worth Rs. 15 billion has been exported to India and Bangladesh. Electricity is sold at competitive prices through day-ahead and real-time markets under the Indian Energy Exchange and in accordance with bilateral mid-term agreements with Bihar and Haryana. 

Power cuts 

Electricity is sold to Bangladesh through the Indian transmission line. The NEA has approval to export 1,165 MW of electricity to India and Bangladesh. Electrification campaigns are going on in the country. Transport electrification is moving ahead like clockwork. More and more electric vehicles are being used in Kathmandu and other cities. The government has requested the public to use electric appliances. However, frequent power cuts have harassed households. Power cuts are occurring daily for a short or long time. That is why the NEA is continuously receiving complaints about power outages.

The NEA should, therefore, reform the power system, ranging from transmission to distribution. As long as there are intermittent power outages, people cannot remain satisfied with the NEA, no matter how much electricity it produces and exports to other countries and how well it performs in financial terms. So the NEA should not delay in formulating short, medium- and long-term planning to make technical and other reforms in the electricity sector and to make the power system more reliable and robust. This will go a long way in regaining public trust in the NEA.     

(Maharjan has been regularly writing on contemporary issues for this daily since 2000.)