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🇳🇵 Nepal /Energy & Infrastructure

Low voltage and power cuts leave Bardiya sweltering in summer heat

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Residents of Bardiya district are enduring severe summer heat due to persistent low voltage and frequent power outages.
  • The power supply issues have made fans ineffective and raised concerns about damage to appliances, with locals accusing the Nepal Electricity Authority's Gulariya Distribution Centre of inaction.
  • Officials state that resolving the problem requires installing new transformers, but the work is currently stalled due to a lack of budget.

Residents of Bardiya district are struggling with extreme summer heat, facing constant low voltage and frequent power cuts that render fans almost useless. The unreliable power supply has also led to worries about damage to essential appliances like refrigerators and water pumps.

The voltage is so low that the fan will not even turn on. It is far too hot to sleep indoors without a fan, so we are forced to sleep outside with our young children, fearing a leopard could attack us.

— Sunita ChaudharyA resident of Gulariya Municipality-8 described the severe impact of low voltage on daily life and safety.

Locals accuse the Gulariya Distribution Centre of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) of failing to address the long-standing issues. Sunita Chaudhary of Gulariya Municipality-8 described the voltage as so low that fans won't even turn on, forcing families to sleep outdoors with young children for relief from the heat, despite the risk of leopard attacks.

We work in the heat all day and then cannot even get a proper night’s sleep. We pay our electricity bills on time, but what are we paying for?

— Ramesh LodhA resident of Gulariya Municipality-10 expressed frustration over the recurring power problems despite timely bill payments.

"We pay our electricity bills on time, but what are we paying for?" Ramesh Lodh of Gulariya Municipality-10 questioned, noting the problem recurs every summer. Pratiksha Kumari Chaudhary from Gulariya-8 reported that despite submitting a recommendation letter from her ward office over a month ago, no inspection has occurred, and the problem persists.

When we complained to the distribution centre chief, he told us to get an official recommendation letter from our ward office. We submitted the letter more than a month ago. They promised to inspect the area, but no one has come, and the problem remains unchanged.

— Pratiksha Kumari ChaudharyA resident of Gulariya-8 detailed the bureaucratic hurdles and lack of action following complaints about low voltage.

Sher Bahadur Sunar, chief of the Gulariya Distribution Centre, acknowledged the district-wide problem. He explained that installing additional transformers is necessary to properly solve the voltage issue, but the necessary work is currently on hold due to a lack of budget.

To solve the voltage problem properly, we need to install new transformers. At present, the work has been halted because there is no budget.

— Sher Bahadur SunarThe chief of the Gulariya Distribution Centre explained the technical requirements and financial constraints hindering a solution.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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