Electricity production to be doubled in Far West

Dhangadhi: After connecting 38.46 megawatts of the private sector's upper Kalangad hydropower project and 15.33 megawatts of lower Kalangad projects to the national transmission line, the Far West will generate almost twice as much electricity. Until two years ago, 46 megawatts of electricity was being produced in the Far West, while 51 megawatts were being produced including small projects.

Now, after the two projects of Kalangagad have been connected, 150 megawatts of electricity has started to be produced. 1 megawatt from Bajhang Rangungad hydropower project, 3.5 megawatt from Juligad hydropower project and small village power schemes have also been added to this. Chamelia, formerly known as aphids, also includes hydro. According to project director Birendra Malla, Kalanga Hydro Limited started operations three years ago with the target of generating 64.49 MW of electricity. 'Of that, 54 megawatts are being produced and 10 megawatts have reached the final stage.'

Increased access to electricity
According to the report of National Census 2078, 81.3 percent of the households in Sudurpaschim Province are lit by hydroelectricity. According to the data, 16.3 percent of the families in the Far West light their lights using solar energy, while 0.3 percent of the families use kerosene, 0.04 percent of the families use bio gas, and 2.9 percent of the families use other materials.

Four lakh 68 thousand 805 families out of a total of five lakh 76 thousand 772 families have access to electricity facilities. 94 thousand 6 families use solar energy, 1 thousand 646 families use kerosene, 210 families use bio gas. 12 thousand 205 families have got light by using other materials.

13,961 families out of reach
The Far West has the highest number of households without electricity. 3 thousand 849 in Achham, 1 thousand 985 in Doti, 1 thousand 787 in Kailali, 1 thousand 364 in Kanchanpur, 1 thousand 218 in Bajhang, 1 thousand 86 in Dadeldhura, 1 thousand 63 in Baitadi, 831 in Darchula and 778 in Bajura due to lack of electricity service. They used to burn other materials such as wood.

19 percent in the dark
The Government of Nepal has set a target to provide electricity service to all households in the country by the financial year 2080-81. But still 19 percent of households in Sudurpaschim Province are out of reach of hydropower. 18.3 in Bajura, 14.9 in Bajhang, 29.1 in Darchula, 50.1 in Baitadi, 19.8 in Dadeldhura, 27.4 in Doti, 46.7 in Achham and 5 percent in Kailali and 2 percent in Kanchanpur according to National Census 2078 said.

64 percent electrification had already been done in the Far West when the government of Nepal set the target in the policy and program of the fiscal year 2076-077 under the Bright Nepal campaign. According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), in 2076, the number of NEA customers of NEA in the Far West was 241,000 and in 2078, it increased to 360,123. NEA has added one lakh 19 thousand 117 customers in two years.

Under the Bright Nepal campaign, three districts in the Far West (Kailali, Kanchanpur and Doti) were set to be fully electrified within the financial year 2076-77, but still 24,460 families in those districts are without access to electricity. Nepal Electricity Authority has not been able to electrify to meet the set target.

Jang Bahadur Chand, Director of Electricity Authority Sudurpaschim Province Office, said that it would not be difficult to complete electrification within two years if the materials for electrification are available after arranging the budget. 106 MW of hydropower from 6 projects in the far west is available on the national transmission line. The government has entered into an agreement with the Indian company NHPC Limited to build Paschim Seti and Seti-6.

9 projects under construction
According to the Electricity Authority, 9 more power projects are under construction in Sudurpaschim Province with a total of 89 megawatts of electricity. Power purchase agreement for 6 projects of 54 MW has also been done. 20 power projects of 3,614 megawatts are being studied. 4 projects of 106 MW capacity are under study.

According to the authority, the government has placed 12 projects of 94 MW in the basket. According to IPAN, the organization of independent energy producers, Far West is the province with the highest power generation capacity in the country. Sudurpaschim has 18 thousand 149 megawatt power generation capacity. Recently, Kapadigad 33 MW in Kailali in Far West, Makrigad 10 MW in Darchula, Panigad 10 MW, Navgad in Bajhang and Mathillo Navgad 9 MW are under construction.