Kulekhani Lets Kathmandu Down

Load shedding was supposed to have ended in Kathmandu with the commissioning in 1982 of the Kulekhani Hydroelectric Project, Nepal´s biggest and costliest power plant. This February, load shedding was back in the capital. Kulekhani had failed to deliver.

The problem was with Kulekhani´s reservoir, whose capacity was down from an average of 86 million cubic metres to 65 million cu.m. There was not enough water to turn the turbines continuously, so the Nepal Electricity Authority reactivated its giant diesel generators in Kathmandu and started rationing electricity, which is expected to continue until the monsoon rains refill Kulekhani´s   reservoir.