Govt declares ´energy crisis period´ for 3.5 yrs

RSS
Making public the Government´s concept and future programs for resolving the problem of energy crisis at the meeting of the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday‚ Deputy Prime Minister Adhikari said the government would declare the next three and half years a ´energy crisis period´ and thereby form a three-member high-level energy crisis resolving commission in order to work towards resolving the problem.

KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Bharat Mohan Adhikari has said that a minimum of 2,500 mega watt of electricity needs to be produced within the next four and half years in order to provide some relief to the people from the existing load- shedding in the country.

Making public the Government's concept and future programs for resolving the problem of energy crisis at the meeting of the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Adhikari said the government would declare the next three and half years a 'energy crisis period' and thereby form a three-member high-level energy crisis resolving commission in order to work towards resolving the problem.

Presenting a detailed plan for resolving the energy crisis, Deputy Prime Minister Adhikari said talks would be held with reputed power production companies of India, China, the USA, Japan, Norway, Brazil, Switzerland, South Korea and other countries to run hydro-electricity projects in the west Seti, upper Seti, Budhi Gandaki, Trishuli, Dudh Koshi, Modi-1, Arughat and other rivers in the country.

Proposals shall also be called for construction of coal and diesel thermal plants on behalf of the private sector, he said and disclosed that a feasibility study of geo-thermal shall also be carried out.

Arrangement shall be made to ensure power supply through solar energy at Singha Durbar, the Ministers' Quarters, Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University and Government and Public Corporations. Likewise, street lights in the major roads of the three cities in Kathmandu valley would be lit with solar power within the next one year, he said.

The Government shall also exempt hundred per cent customs duty in solar energy-related equipment including solar panel and battery.

Likewise, the private sector shall also be urged to work towards producing power from the waste coming out from industrial zones in different cities across the country.

A feasibility study of production of natural gas in some place inside the valley shall be carried out to produce at least 20 mega watt of natural gas within one year.

Import of power from neighbouring India shall also be expedited and a 400 KV transmission line between Nepal and India shall be constructed for the purpose, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The Finance Minister said in order to ensure the availability of budget for the aforementioned works to be carried out in the energy sector, an additional Rs. 5 billion shall be made available from the Finance Ministry and a loan of at least Rs. 15 billion from the Employees' Provident Fund, Nepal Telecom, Rastriya Beema Sansthan and Citizens' Investment Fund.

The Government shall also provide 50 per cent grant to the community teaching institutions, forest users' groups, community organizations and local bodies taking the initiative to produce up to three mega watt of power. Similar grant of 75 per cent shall be provided to the cooperatives in the VDC and 100 percent additional budget to micro-hydel projects.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the Non-residents Nepalis shall also be appealed to invest in the hydro-power sector.