By Laxman Kafle

Kathmandu, Dec. 30: People in Kathmandu have, of late, been facing the problem of unofficial power outages lasting for hours.
Unprepared to face the problem of surprise power cut, the denizens, employees and small businesses have expressed their dissatisfaction over the recurrence of the problem in cold winter days.
“I have been unable to pump water and charge mobile phone for the last 24 hours,” said Sarala Sharma of Kathmandu-32.
She said she was surprised more when hers was the only house in the locality to have such a long-hour power outage while her neighbours were not facing the similar problem.
According to Nepal Electricity Authority, it is not an unofficial power outage, but due to technical problem to manage load capacity after the consumers started using their electronic appliances to chase cold in the morning and night times.
"This does not mean that the NEA has power supply problem, but this is happening due to problem in the respective places where the old transformers and feeders could not sustain the growing load demand," Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority Kul Man Ghising told The Rising Nepal on Sunday.
There is also problem in individual's home that they have their low ampere metres but use high voltage electric appliances, Ghising added.
Secondly, the problem is in the current distribution system of the NEA in several stations of the valley, he said.
He also said that road expansion drive, electric pole relocation and underground wiring works had also led to frequent power outage.
Power consumption in the Kathmandu Valley has increased by around 40 per cent in this winter season, he said, adding that at present demand of power had reached 400 MW which is highest ever demand of the Valley.
The demand of power in the summer season is around 250 MW, he said.
"Although people are facing disturbance in power supply, we are taking it as a positive sign as it showed an increase in power consumption. The NEA is working to improve power supply by replacing the old transformers, underground wiring and adding new feeders," he said.
According to him, technical teams of NEA are actively working even in the night to address the power supply problems.
He asked the consumers to increase the capacity of their metre as per the utilisation of the electric appliances.
NEA has replaced the transformers of 30 MVA capacity in Baneshowor area which were damaged, he added.