KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 23
With the onset of the Tihar festival, citizens across the country decorate their houses with festive lights or butter lamps on the occasion. Demand for electricity across the country is projected to hit 1,300 MW during peak hours of the Tihar festival.
Similarly, decorative lights worth Rs 250 million were imported targeting the festival, as per the Federation of Electrical Entrepreneurs of Nepal (FEEN).
According to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), electricity consumption is estimated to reach around 1,300 MW during the peak hours of Tihar, an increase from the 1,240 MW consumed last year.
Suresh Bahadur Bhattarai, spokesperson for NEA, explained that the electricity load is expected to increase by five to seven per cent this year compared to last year. "Industries and businesses remain shut during the festival.
Also, the introduction of efficient lights in the market has helped in decreasing the load. We have estimated the consumption to be around 1,300 MW during the peak hours of Tihar," he said.
Bhattarai also assured that all the systems are running properly for a steady flow of electricity during the festive season.
Domestic production alone will be enough to meet the electricity demand of the country as very less electricity is consumed during the day time.
Sudarshan Prasad Paudyal, president of FEEN said that the import of decorative lights have dropped by almost half compared to last year. "Lights worth Rs 250 million were imported this year for the festival seasons compared to Rs 400 million worth of lights imported last year. The current economic situation has decreased the demand in the market and has slowed down business," he said.
"The government has tightened regulation for the import of small consignments, leading to a decrease in imports.
Also, the halt of many construction projects across the country due to the current economic situation has affected the lights market. Banks have not approved loans for the construction of new houses as well, affecting demand for our products," Paudyal shared.
Despite the slow business, Paudyal assured that the festival will bring some relief to affected businesses and expressed hope that the economic situation will improve soon.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 24, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
