Nepal suffers power blackouts as rivers dry up
Kathmandu, Dec 29 (IANS) Slapped with a 51-hour weekly power outage from Wednesday and a warning that next month it could go up to 12 hours a day, Nepal has begun to lose its lustre as a holiday destination, especially for the budget tourist from India who crosses over the open border by bus.
The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Tuesday announced that due to the power-generating rivers drying up and the demand for energy increasing, it would enforce between seven to eight hours of blackout daily. In the coming days, NEA warned that it could rise to 12 hours daily. … Tourism agency operators predict dismal days ahead with online bookings grinding to a halt. Even the five-star hotels, which can afford to run generators, are angered by the growing outage which will be made worse by the rising shortage of fuel from India. Banks are in distress and even the lone international airport in Kathmandu will see delayed flights and chaos. Shops in Thamel, Kathmandu’s tourist hub, are already reeling under outages, with business plummeting during power cuts. In addition, there is a marked rise in theft, robbery and other crimes during the blackouts. …
