Humla does not have national grid-based supply, Madhesh Province has cent percent electrification

Around 28 percent of the local levels of Nepal are yet to receive full-fledged electricity supply despite the country reporting 99 percent of the population having access to electricity.

The ‘Nepal Electrification Statistics 2024’ unveiled by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) shows only 539 out of 753 local levels of the country have received full-fledged electrification. It makes up 71.58 percent of the total number of local bodies.

Likewise, a total of 196 local levels are only partially electrified, while 18 are yet to receive electricity supplied through the national grid. The people in these 18 local levels have been using electricity generated by micro hydropower plants and solar energy.

According to the NEA, 590 local levels witnessed above 95 percent electrification, 72 local levels have 75-95 percent electrification, 33 have 50-75 percent electrification, 26 have 25-50 percent electrification and 32 local levels have only up to 25 percent of electrification. Out of 77 districts across the country, Humla does not have access to electricity supplied from the national grid.

In the past eight years, the status of electrification jumped from 58 percent to 99 percent of the population. The NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising said the power utility is putting its full effort to materialize the government’s announced target of providing quality and reliable electricity supply to all households of the country by the end of the current fiscal year.

“We have kept in high priority the plan to supply electricity in the deprived areas while focusing on improving our distribution system.”

Province-wise, Madhesh Province has cent percent electrification. It is followed by Bagmati (99.97 percent), Gandaki (99.40 percent), Koshi (99.30 percent), Lumbini (98.49 percent) and Sudurpashchim (86.58 percent). Karnali Province has the least electrification of only 74.38 percent.

The NEA records show that Nepal’s electricity production capacity has reached 3,157 MW. On the other hand, the total length of the transmission lines has reached 6,507 circuit kilometers, more than double of the length in the past eight years. Out of it, 514 circuit km is of a capacity of just 66 kV. The high capacity of transmission lines are deemed important to ensure quality electricity supply.