The daily eight hours of load shedding puts the country to sleep early, lets people sleep till late and makes people lazy and unproductive. The future looks even bleaker: we will apparently have to wait four years until these power cuts end.

On being questioned by the finance committee of the parliament, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) repeated that the load shedding will have to continue until the completion of the upper Tamakosi hydropower project. Regardless of the long talks with India about purchasing electricity, the NEA has no substantive plans to reduce the power cuts. This clearly shows how irresponsible and incompetent the NEA is.

Although there are no signs of immediate reductions in power cuts, the 40 megawatt deal with India could provide some relief. However, NEA has done nothing to set up a private company to distribute power.

The reduced production of electricity is not the only reason for the increase in load shedding. Water levels in the rivers have decreased while even the little electricity produced cannot be used efficiently. Leakage is endemic. The unnecessary consumption of electricity by those with money and status has further aggravated the problem. If the government delays the implementation of the electricity purchase agreement, and does nothing to speed up the hydropower projects, not only will the success of the NEA be questioned but the government will have a hard time saving face.