Pokhara, January 7:

When the nation is facing severe power shortage resulting in 15 hours of load-shedding every week, the locals of Chhomrong and Taulung villages in Kaski district have regular power supply round the clock and that, too, at a price less than that fixed by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

All this was possible due to the establishment of three hydro-electricity projects in the Ghattekhola on the foothills of the Annapurna mountain.

“This is a great change in our village, we have been benefited from the facility,” chairman of the third project, Om Prasad Gurung said. Locals say they have been paying as much as Re 1 to Rs 3 for each unit of electricity.

“The locals established three projects with capacities of 30, 14 and 25 kilowatts in 2000, 2004 and 2006 at the cost of Rs one crore, Rs 30 lakh and Rs

60 lakh, respectively,” operator of first project, Purna Gurung said.

The first two projects were established through investment of locals and the support from donors and the third project was established with local people’s investment only,

she said.

“Dhualgiri Community Resource Development Centre also helped in construction of the third project,” a local Him Gurung said, adding: “We are operating from our local resources.”