Bhaktapur, August 24 :

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) incurred a total loss of Rs 154.3 million due to power leakage alone in the Bhaktapur district during fiscal year of 2004-05.

Of the total power transmission in Bhaktapur some 304.2 million units leaked thereby causing a huge loss, says Rameswar Prasad Kalwal, chief at the NEA Bhaktapur office.

Kalwal also adds that of a total 506 million unit of power supplied last year 55 per cent was unaccounted due to leakage. According to the distribution centre, every month 2.4 million unit of power is leaked thereby incurring loss worth Rs 10.8 million a month, in Bhaktapur only. In the past one year, NEA Bhaktapur collected Rs 140 million as power tariff through the sale of 201.7 million units of power. Likewise, in the fiscal 2003-04, the office had suffered a loss of Rs 108.8 million due to leakage of 54 per cent of the total power supply.

NEA Bhaktapur supplies power to a total of 23,000 customers in Bhaktapur municipality and Katunje, Bageswari, Jhaukhel, Sipadol, Nangkhel, Nagarkot, Chitpol, Chaling, Sudal, Changu, Tathali Village Development Committees.

Power leakage is reported to be taking place in both the urban and rural areas while apart from directly hooking up to the main transmission line, trend of stealing power by breaking off the meter seal is on the rise.