After a great damage to small hydropower plants caused by heavy rains last October, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has made alternative arrangements for power supply in Mugu and Humla for the time being.

According to a press statement issued by NEA, after electricity was not available in the area without rebuilding and repairing the power houses damaged by the landslides, the authority will produce electricity through diesel generators and supply it to Mugu and Humla for the time being. For this, the authority has arranged generators in those districts.

The floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on October 5-11 have caused great damage to the canals of the 400 kW Gamgadh in Mugu and the 500 kW Heldung-small hydroelectric power plants in Humla. After the canal was damaged and power generation interrupted, Mugu and Humla districts were left without electricity. Due to geographical difficulties, electricity from the national transmission line has not reached these two districts. The damaged power houses are being reconstructed.

The NEA has taken a 300 kVA generator in Kalikot to Mugu for power supply in Gamgadhi and surrounding areas. 125 and 100 kV generators have been arranged for power supply in Simikot and surrounding areas of Humla. The authority has 3,100 customers in Mugu and 2,300 customers in Humla.

The generators were taken from Kulekhani Power Station and New Butwal Substation to Simikot. The authority transported those generators by road and took them to Gamgadhi in Mugu. In Humla, which is not yet connected to the national road, the generator and the diesel needed for that have been transported to Simikot by helicopter from Gamgadhi.

A team including managing director of the NEA, Kulman Ghising, head of NEA’s distribution and customer service directorate, Manoj Silwal, chief of NEA’s Karnali provincial office, Shambhu Kusiyat Yadav reached Simikot with generators on Wednesday.

The NEA and the team led by the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Humla, Sita Pariyar, inspected the Heldung power plant structures that were damaged by the landslide and the ongoing reconstruction. The team has instructed the builders and others to complete the reconstruction work within a month.

NEA Managing Director Ghising said that since the reconstruction of the small power plants is going on and it will take at least one more month for this, NEA is sensitive to the situation of powerlessness in the area and for the time being, generators and diesel are being transported by helicopters to provide alternative power supply.

"The cost of generating electricity through generators is more than Rs 80 per unit, but most of the customers here pay a minimum of Rs 30 each. The cost of the electricity consumed here is more than twice as expensive as the investment, but since it is the responsibility of the state to provide light to everyone's homes, we are providing electricity as a basic need without looking at profit or loss. "We have made arrangements for supplies by transporting goods through helicopters," Ghising said.

Chief District Officer of Mugu, Rom Bahadur Mahat, requested the NEA to complete the reconstruction of Gamgadhi Power Station as soon as possible and arrange for electricity supply. He promised that he is ready to facilitate the necessary reconstruction.

‘Electrification of Karnali a top priority’

NEA Managing Director Ghising said that the electrification of the districts of Karnali Province is being given high priority.

“To set up solar power plants of at least 2 MW each in Kalikot, Jumla, Humla, Mugu and Dolpa, taking concessional loans of about $220 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). To electrify the hilly districts of Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province, government investment and authorities are spending some part of their profits to expand the reach of electricity in this area,” Ghising said.