Madhesh Residents Face Double Blow of Extreme Heat and Irregular Power Supply

Janakpurdham. Madhesh residents are currently facing the double blow of extreme heat and irregular electricity supply. Frequent unscheduled power outages during the scorching heat are making life difficult and increasing public anger.

Janaki Sah of Jaleshwor Municipality-2 complains of being exhausted by the heat. "We are fed up with the repeated power outages," he said, "When we call the distribution center, they only give the same answer that maintenance is underway due to technical problems."

His complaint is that such problems are repeated every year during the summer in Madhesh, and there is no clear answer from anywhere about when regular electricity supply will be available.

Raju Pandey of Jaleshwor-3 and Suresh Jha of Ward No. 4 have similar complaints. Pandey says, "If there is really a technical problem, its long-term solution should be found. The authority cannot shirk its responsibility by keeping citizens in the dark."

Jha stated that not only household chores but also trade, business, health services, and daily life have been severely affected due to power outages. He demanded regular maintenance, prior notification, and effective management from the Nepal Electricity Authority.

Children, the elderly, and the sick are particularly affected by the heat. Daily life has become difficult for the general public as they are unable to use electrical appliances like fans and coolers.

What does the distribution center say?

Regarding the public's anger, Roshan Kumar Singh, Chief Engineer of the Jaleshwor Distribution Center, admitted that the public's complaints are valid. He said that although efforts are being made to solve the problem, there are some practical difficulties at the local level.

"We are trying to install a transformer in Rauja, but the work is being affected due to lack of necessary support from the locals," Singh said. He clarified that the problem would be reduced after the 33 KV line is connected and that currently, the line has to be cut due to road expansion. He claimed that the problem arises because of increased demand and reliance on a single 33 KV source, and the problem will decrease once another source is added.

Situation in the capital Janakpurdham

Local residents are also becoming angry due to increased unscheduled power outages even in Janakpurdham, the capital of Madhesh Province. Roshan Raut of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-8 expressed anger over the increasing trend of cutting power without notice.

Similarly, Nikesh Karna of Ward No. 10 complained that the risk of damage to electrical appliances at home is increasing due to outages without prior information.

4 Billion Project Started

Electricity is supplied through a total of 23 distribution centers in Madhesh Province. Shambhu Kushiyait Yadav, head of the Nepal Electricity Authority's Madhesh Provincial Office, said that transformers and machines are getting heated and damaged due to extreme heat, in response to complaints about irregular electricity supply from across the province.

"The weather is not favorable, and our old structures cannot handle the excessive load," Yadav said. He informed that a project to install 525 new transformers with an investment of approximately 4 billion rupees across the province has already started to solve the problem.

Claiming that he stays at the call center until 12 midnight to listen to consumer complaints, he expressed hope that there has been improvement compared to the past and further improvement is expected in the future.

The regularity of electricity service in Madhesh Province, with a population of about 6.4 million, is directly linked to daily activities including industry, education, health, and information technology.

Citizens are demanding that reliable and quality electricity supply be arranged immediately and its long-term solution be found.