KATHMANDU: Electricity demand has declined as industries and businesses have not been able to run at full capacity due to the ongoing prohibitory order. Moreover, electricity import from India has also been reduced, as per Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
NEA spokesperson Madan Timalsina informed that the peak demand of electricity before the prohibitory order was up to 1482 megawatt while the average peak hour demand today is around 1,250 megawatt. The demand for electricity had dropped to an average of 800 megawatts during the same period last year as industries then were completely shut due to the lockdown.
At present, the industrial sector is not operating at full capacity. Industries have not been able to run at full capacity due to lack of raw materials and rising case of coronavirus among workers. However, production of essential commodities including milk, gas, bread, biscuits, oxygen and water has not declined.
Meanwhile, NEA has kept the Kulekhani reservoir in reserve due to falling electricity load in the country. NEA stated that the project has been shut down after the water level in Kulekhani reservoir reached very low.