Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, May 21:

People have been affected by the disruption of telephone services in some districts of the eastern region. The disruption, which has been blamed on technical problems, have affected services in Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Udayapur, Jhapa, Panchathar and Solukhumbu districts. The Suntale-based NTC repeater tower was struck by lightning rendering its battery useless. Kanahiyalal Gupta, regional director of NTC east regional office, Biratnagar, said,

“We are trying to mange V-Sat in places where telephone lines have been disrupted.” With no services for the last three days in Udayapur district, locals are compelled to come to Lahan to make important calls. The telephone service in Panchathar has also been disrupted with the exchange having to bear a capacity of 60 STD phone calls at a time. Five hundred lines are being operated under the Panchathar exchange. Telephone lines in Jhapa have also been disrupted. It may take four or five days for the telephone services to resume in the district, said Binod Kumar Katuwal, chief of NTC, Damak.