Consumers, along with the governmental as well as non-governmental institutions have been facing problems owing to the irregular power supply in Martadi, the headquarters of Bajura district.

As the power cut takes place frequently, District Health Office (DHO), Bajura has experienced difficulties in administering patients’ health check-up. According to Dr Rohit Giri at the DHO, the poor power supply is not sufficient even for light bulbs, which has disrupted X-ray and lab services.

The outdated and faulty machinery belonging to Triveni Micro Hydropower has caused frustration among consumers. Laxmi Raj Upadhyay, a member of Civil Society, expressed the dissatisfaction of consumers towards the three-decade-old faulty equipment causing disruption to services.

Triveni Savings and Loan Cooperative firm has been operating the power supplied by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the past few years. But now, the consumers have demanded the firm to hand over the power supply management back to NEA if it is unable to install new machinery and provide regular service. Currently, the power supply has been in operation from Badimalika Municipality to Sudaha in Chhededaha Rural Municipality-6.

Likewise, governmental and NGOs have expressed outrage at the problems faced by around 15,000 people owing to the irregular power supply, Chief District Officer (CDO) Chetan Baral said.

However, Triveni Micro Hydropower Centre has stated that a problem in machinery has caused a delay in repair-work. The chief of Triveni Savings and Loan Cooperative Organisation, Dayaram Pandit blamed the delayed work on lack of experts and technicians stating that services would be regular in a matter of days once the technicians from New Delhi arrived.

Consumers have further demanded the NEA to take responsibility for its inability to solve the problem of the machine encountered when monsoon floods wash away the canals, and the machinery becomes incapable of supplying for increased power consumption during winter.

Moreover, locals have also asked for the immediate establishment of electricity-storage line in the locality and have asked to seek concrete solutions to the problem.

Communications networks in the District have also been affected. Due to a lack of power supply, Radio Bajura and Radio Paurakhi have remained out of operation for weeks.