Kathmandu: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been able to reduce electricity leakage in its distribution system to 9.10 percent during mid-July and mid-December this fiscal year.

According to the NEA, it has been successful in reducing the leakage by 2.82 point percent from 11.92 percent in the same period last year. Improvement in infrastructure related to distribution systems and effective monitoring helped reduce power leakage notably.

Kulman Ghising, managing director of NEA, said the upgradation of sub-stations at a number of locations, use of three-phase electricity meters, replacement of the old conductors and stern measures against electricity theft through hooking and meter bypass mechanism have helped the power utility achieve the success.

NEA has targeted to reduce the leakage in the distribution system to 9.5 percent and overall leakage to 15.5 percent by the end of the current fiscal year. The leakage in the distribution system holds a major portion of leakage of the overall system.

The NEA records show that Madhesh Province still has the largest leakage of 12.99 percent in the distribution system whereas it is 4.08 percent in Bagmati Province, the least. In the review period, the state-power utility achieved notable success in reducing electricity leakages in Lumbini Province and Sudurpaschim Province.