The Nepal Electricity Authority has stated that even though electricity can be imported from India for only 12 hours a day, there will be no load shedding at people's homes. To meet the domestic demand, electricity from India can be brought only for 12 hours from Sunday, ie from 6 am to 6 pm every day.

Until Saturday, the authority was importing electricity for 20 hours a day. Since the flow of water in rivers and streams decreases in winter, electricity production is reduced, so imports from India are being made to meet the domestic demand. But the executive director of the authority, Ghising, claimed that there will be no load shedding in people's homes. "We shut down hydropower projects like Kulekhani, Kaligandaki, Upper Tamakoshi during the day and run them at night," Ghising said.

India had allowed import of electricity only for 20 hours a day during winter till March 15 (Chait 2) and during solar hours (6 am to 6 pm) from March 16 to June 30. Ghising also said that India has been asked to import electricity for 20 hours. Apart from India's competitive market, Nepal can import electricity from the Tanakpur transmission line and the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC) under the Mahakali Treaty.

Nepal receives 70 million units of free electricity annually from the Tanakpur transmission line under the Mahakali Treaty. For the year 2024, the PEC meeting held on March 11, according to the structure of the transmission line, has fixed the price of electricity exchange through the 132 kV transmission line, which is import-export, at 7.98 bharu (12 rupees 77 paisa) per unit. which is now applicable.

The Authority has said that a new rate has been set so that Nepal can take electricity whenever it wants and that rate will be applicable when importing from India and exporting to India as well. The PEC meeting held on February 13 for the year 2025/2026 has decided the per unit rate of electricity. The meeting has fixed the price of import-export of electricity through 132 kV transmission line at 8.1 Bharu (12 rupees 96 paisa), per unit rate of purchase and sale of electricity through 33 kV transmission line at 8.78 Bharu (14 rupees 04 paisa) and per unit rate of 11 kV transmission line at 9.41 Bharu (15.05 rupees). The price will be effective from next April. But the authority's Board of Directors meeting has not approved and the Electricity Regulatory Commission has not yet approved. If the

is not approved within March, the authority says it will not be implemented from April. Energy Minister Deepak Khadka has repeatedly asked Ghising for clarification on this issue. Energy Minister Khadka called a meeting of the authority's board of directors on Sunday. But the meeting could not be held as the first proposal of the meeting was the rate of import-export electricity through PEC.

In 2077, the Council of Ministers meeting has given all the authority to the Authority, including the import-export of electricity in neighboring countries. Ghising has been saying that the price of electricity import-export has been agreed upon by using the authority given by the Council of Ministers and taking a mandate from Energy Secretary Suresh Acharya. According to the same arrangement, the authority is currently importing 150 megawatts of electricity during peak hours.

According to Chandan Kumar Ghosh, spokesperson of the authority, even if they can import electricity from India for only 12 hours, the demand will be managed, but if the electricity coming from PEC is stopped, the risk of load shedding may increase. "We run reservoir and semi-reservoir projects only at night, import electricity during the day and provide electricity to river flow-based projects," Ghosh said, "those who are happy about load shedding are spreading rumours. There is no shortage of electricity anywhere.

Despite the announcement that load shedding has ended, Rajesh Agrawal, president of Nepal Industry Confederation, said that there is load shedding every day in the evening and morning for 5/5 hours. "The actual load shedding has not ended, Kulmanji would have accepted it now," he said.

The domestic demand of the country is 1900 MW. According to the authority, domestic demand is being met by importing 1000 megawatts of electricity and an average of 500 megawatts of electricity. There is a separate agreement between India and Nepal to import insufficient electricity in winter every year. Contracts for electricity imported from India's competitive market have to be renewed every year. According to the same arrangement, it was renewed for the year 2025 last November.

Even at that time, India had renewed under the condition of not providing electricity during peak hours. India had given permission to import 654 MW of electricity from 400 KV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur and 54 MW from Tanakpur-Mahendranagar transmission line. Nepal has been purchasing electricity by competing in the day-ahead and real-time markets of India's Indian Energy Exchange Limited (IX). According to this, 'bidding' is done with the price and quantity on the day before the purchase. Nepal got permission to participate in this market in 2078 Baisakh.