In response to increasing electricity demand driven by extensive use of irrigation motors, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Rangeli Distribution Centre in Morang is set to install an additional 8 MVA transformer to improve power supply reliability in the region.

The move comes amid growing power outages and voltage fluctuations, which have been affecting both households and industries. With the delayed monsoon, farmers in southern Morang have turned to electric irrigation motors to transplant paddy, causing a sharp rise in electricity consumption.

According to Pawan Kumar Goit, chief of the Rangeli Distribution Centre of NEA, there are 9,138 irrigation customers within the service area of Rangeli.

After all those customers started using electric motors for irrigation at the same time, causing power outage in the homes of household consumers, he said.

He said that the centre is going to install a new 8 MVA transformer to improve the power supply in the area.

Goit said, "33 kV voltage of electricity should come from Duhabi. Due to the long distance, only 27 kV voltage of electricity arrives. Rangeli Distribution Centre has been supplying 11 kV electricity from seven feeders. However, after there was no rain till mid-July, the farmers relied on the electric motors. Due to this the electricity load could not be managed."

According to him, after being unable to manage the load, the problem of power tripping and voltage fluctuation has been growing.

Rajiv Kumar Singh, chief of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Provincial Office, Biratnagar, said that the electricity demand of the customers of the Rangeli Distribution Centre can be met from the current two 16 MVA transformers.

The average demand for electricity in the months of Asar, Shrawan and Bhadra is 15/16 KVA.

However, due to the lack of rain, the farmers had to depend entirely on the irrigation motors. Due to this the authority is facing criticism from the industrial sector and domestic consumers.

"Instead of understanding the reality, the general consumers are creating an opinion based on hearsay and spreading propaganda against the electricity authority on social media. That is why we are immediately going to increase the capacity of the service centre to 24 KVA," he said.

The Rangeli Distribution Centre has provided electricity service to 51,179 households in Ratuwamai, Sunvarshi and Rangeli municipalities and Kanepokhari and Dhanpalthan Rural municipalities of the district. Similarly, there are 671 industrial consumers and 867 different organizations have taken electricity service.

The Rangeli Distribution Centre, which distributes electricity to a total of 61,855 customers, requires only seven to eight KVA of electricity in winter.

Goit said that after expanding the capacity of the distribution centre, the problem of low voltage and periodic power outages will be permanently resolved.

According to him, 80 per cent of the work of installing transformers has been completed.

He said that the service will start from Wednesday after completing testing.

By Hari Prasad Koirala