Kathmandu: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has assured that there will be no power cuts during Tihar, the Hindu festival of lights, which begins next week.
The NEA has projected electricity demand to peak at around 1,600 MW on Laxmi Puja, the main day of Tihar, which falls on Monday, similar to last year’s consumption level. In the Kathmandu Valley alone, last year’s peak demand reached 390 MW.
NEA spokesperson Rajan Dhakal said the authority is fully prepared to handle peak-hour demand during the festival. “While household consumption rises during Tihar, industrial demand drops, helping maintain a balance in overall electricity use,” he said.
Dhakal added that all distribution centers, power plant managers, and technical staff across the country have been instructed to stay on high alert to prevent possible power disruptions caused by faults in the distribution system.
Although recent floods damaged more than a dozen privately operated hydropower projects, reducing production by over 105 MW, NEA said state-owned plants remain unaffected and power supply during Tihar will not be disrupted.
Nepal continues to benefit from electricity exports, earning Rs 8.64 billion from sales to India and Bangladesh in the first two months of the current fiscal year, up 10.5 percent from Rs 7.82 billion during the same period last year. The country currently exports about 1,000 MW to India and 40 MW to Bangladesh. In FY 2024/25, total export earnings reached Rs 17.45 billion.