Besisahar, April 8

Life has come to a standstill in the trans-Himalayan district of Manang after power supply was cut off after the shutdown of micro hydro project.

Chame, the district headquarters, and several other villages on the fringe have been without electric power following the shutdown of the local Slakyu River Micro Hydro Power Project.

The micro hydro power project of 45 kilowatt capacity was built with an aim to generate power for Chame, Thanchowk and Timang in the district.

“The project is currently grappling with a problem in its generator and effectively stalling power generation,” Kamal Raj Bhandari, Chief District Officer, said. The local administration confirmed that the disruption in the supply of power has affected the functioning of telephone and mobile services in the district. This has created uncalled for problems for tourists.

Trekkers arriving at Chame after three to four days of trekking from Lamjung’s district headquarters of Besisahar have been unable to use their phone and internet services since the blackout.