KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority has increased load shedding to nine-and-a-half hours a day and 56 hours in a week.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, the state-owned NEA said that the new schedule will come into effect from tomorrow.

NEA said that decrease in water level in rivers, increase in demand of electricity and the damage caused by April 25 devastating earthquake and its subsequent aftershocks on hydro projects had forced it to increase the load shedding hours.

Currently, the Valley denizens are bearing the brunt of load shedding for 44 hours a week.