Kathmandu, May 10:

Managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Arjun Kumar Karki said today that the country would not develop unless the government came up with a clear policy for the execution of power projects.

“Lack of consensus among the political parties is hampering the exploitation of water resources,” Karki said at a programme on the Upper Seti Storage Hydroelectricity Project.

He urged the parties to build a consensus on the execution of hydropower projects. Terming the “differences among leaders over the utilisation of water resources” ‘very disappointing’, Karki said hydropower could not be harnessed unless parties came up with a unified stance on harnessing of natural resources.

“Some party leaders say no country has become rich by exporting electricity. I wonder if any country has become rich by letting water flow off the river.”

He called on the government to make a policy with help from ministries concerned and enable the NEA to execute hydroelectricity projects.