JUMLA, JANUARY 3

Two-hundred-and-fifty kilowatts of electricity has been produced at Patarasi Rural Municipality in the district, providing free electricity to 3,400 houses of approximately 27 settlements.

Following the completion of 15 hydropower projects, the rural municipality has become self-reliant in power, said Chair of Patarasi Rural Municipality, Lachhiman Bohora. Of the 15 projects, 250 kilowatts of power has been generated from 11 projects.

The completed hydropower projects are Biureni (58 kilowatts), Lum (25 kilowatts), Talfi (25 kilowatts), Tribeni (45 kilowatts), Upper Lorpa (25 kilowatts), Rini (9 kilowatts), Patamara (12 kilowatts), Tali Lorpa (five kilowatts), Lamri (nine kilowatts) and Mahari (six kilowatts).

Preparations are under way to declare the rural municipality, the first to be self-reliant in electricity in the district, said Tek Bahadur Budhthapa, chief administrative officer at the rural municipality.

The drive to illuminate all the settlements of the rural municipality has been implemented in three years, said Bohora.

With this, the compulsion of local people to use alternatives to electricity such as kerosene lamps has been done away with, he said.

Arrangement has been made to provide free electricity to the beneficiaries, said Vice-chair of the rural municipality Punnakali Mahatara, adding that expenditures on salaries for employees at the electricity house and machine repairs would be borne.