Jaisara Neupane of Nanikot, Panchaljharana Rural Municipality-8, Kalikot, saw a solar lamp for the first time 19 years ago at the age of 48. The light given to her by solar was truly unforgettable, as she had been using dried twigs as a means of escape from the darkness since a young age.

She was working while breathing in the smoke from the dried embers, and she would press the switch to light the bulb. ‘I am now 67 years old,’ she said, recalling that moment. ‘Until I was 48, we used to do all our work by burning a lamp. Our children used to study in that light. The embers that were burning in front would emit a lot of smoke from behind, making it difficult to sit.’ 

Women used to spend a lot of time in the smoke to raise their children, but now various studies have shown that this has decreased. There used to be more chronic lung diseases due to smoke, but now there has been an improvement: Dr. Nawaraj KC, Senior Pediatrician   At a time when matches and lighters were not available to light a fire, solar installation was a great joy for Jaisara. In the fiscal year 2063/64, the Alternative Energy Promotion Center launched the 'Karnali Ujjaya' program, which distributed 12-watt solar-powered lights in nine districts of present-day Karnali and Sudurpaschim. This was a program that brought the daily lives of many like Jaisara from darkness to light and replaced traditional sources of light like diyalo, ningalo, and tuki.

In Upper Karnali, where the central electricity transmission line did not reach, it became very convenient after the installation of solar panels and the operation of small and hydropower projects. This has also made the environment cleaner, says Bhim Pariyar of Adanchuli Rural Municipality in Humla. "The smoke emitted when burning wood used to be very uncomfortable for children and the elderly," he said, "but now, with the installation of solar, we don't have to suffer from the smoke. If no government or non-government body connects it, we can connect it ourselves." Solar energy has become very useful in remote areas because it is less expensive and easy to use. 

According to the data of the National Census 2078, Karnali has the highest number of households using solar energy among the seven provinces, at 175,306. The data shows that 181,676 households have access to hydropower. On the one hand, despite the lack of access to the central electricity transmission line, solar energy and small hydropower projects have made the lives of the residents of remote areas of Karnali easier. According to the census data, 50 percent of households in Karnali are outside the reach of electricity from the national transmission line. Even though the national transmission line has not been expanded, the residents here are using clean energy the most.

Anami Ramdevi Rawat of the Jair Health Post in Sarkegad Rural Municipality of Humla provided services to more than 80 women with just a torch. She has many cases of giving birth to women by torchlight. She said that after installing solar panels at the health post a year ago, she was no longer forced to provide services with torches. According to her, other office work has also become easier with solar power. While serving in remote areas, she has also been able to talk to distant relatives on social media.

Bhupendra Shahi, who has been working in Karnali for a long time in the field of climate change and biodiversity conservation, says that the use of solar and small hydropower projects in remote areas has made life much easier for the locals. He believes that the use of alternative energy has also reduced deforestation. "Traditional sources of light are being displaced," he said, "which has not only stopped indoor pollution but also prevented indiscriminate deforestation." Shahi says that although small hydropower projects are useful, they are prone to collapse and damage due to floods and landslides, and remain idle for a long time if not repaired in time. He says that if the management side is good, the government can provide clean energy to remote villages with less investment. 

Dhawa Samduk Gurung, chairman of Shey-Phoksundo rural municipality in Dolpa, said that solar panels have been installed throughout the municipality. According to him, solar panels have been installed within the government budget. ‘Solar is a blessing for us,’ he said, ‘If there is no solar, there is no other way to provide electricity here. It takes a lot of time and money to expand micro-hydro in scattered settlements, so solar has become very useful in every home and government office.’ Chairman Gurung says that for long-term lighting, the provincial and federal governments need to develop small hydropower projects in coordination with the local government. 

The federal and provincial governments have been constructing and maintaining small hydropower projects in Karnali. According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development of Karnali, in the fiscal year 2079/080, 181.366 million out of the budget allocated for 234.272 million was spent, said Binod Kumar Bhandari, the ministry’s chief accounting officer. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2080/081, 132.98 million out of the budget allocated for 197.891 million was spent. He said that 89.932 million was spent out of the 123.475 million allocated in 2081/082. 66.7 million has been allocated in the current fiscal year. 

According to Bhandari, the budget is decreasing every year. He said that the budget coming through the conditions of the federal government is also decreasing. The ambitious 'Karnali Ujjaya' program implemented by the provincial government since 2076 Magh to electrify the villages of Karnali is also in a state of limbo. With the start of the Karnali Ujjaya program, the Chief Minister's Office had arranged the budget and the Alternative Energy Promotion Center had provided technical assistance. The provincial government had allocated 1.1 billion rupees in three years, of which about 786 million rupees have not been spent, according to the data of the Planning, Monitoring and Economic Infrastructure Branch of the Chief Minister's Office.

Electrical engineer Kishor BC, who has worked in Karnali for about 6 years on behalf of the Alternative Energy Promotion Center in the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development of Karnali Province, said that the center has worked by increasing the budget at a time when many small hydropower and solar projects are being abandoned due to lack of budget. He informed that after federalization, the provincial government itself put forward a plan to build sick projects, and the Karnali Ujjala Program has been working with technical assistance. 

The condition of hydropower production in Karnali is very weak. Although the electricity generation capacity here is more than 20,000 megawatts, only 16.54 megawatts of electricity is being produced so far, says Sagar Acharya, Information Officer at the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development. According to him, 236 projects, both small and large, have been completed in Karnali. 70 projects, both small and large, are under construction in various stages. 14 small hydropower projects in different districts are currently closed. 

It is said that they have not been put into operation due to poor management, natural disasters and technical reasons. Currently, 17 hydropower and solar energy projects have received construction permits in Karnali Province. The target is to generate 924 megawatts of electricity from the projects under construction. The nine projects that have completed the study work and submitted construction permits will have a capacity to generate 2,491 megawatts of electricity. The six projects that have been studied by the government have a capacity to generate 154 megawatts of electricity. 

10 projects currently being studied by the government will have a capacity to generate 2,036 megawatts of electricity. Out of the approximately 20,000 megawatts of hydropower projects that can be constructed technically and economically, 70 projects of 10,000 megawatts each are currently in various stages of construction in Karnali Province. 

According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development, Karnali Province, 82.93 percent of Karnali citizens have access to electricity. 66.29 percent of the population has access to the national transmission line. 25.75 percent of Karnali residents are still deprived of the facilities of the national electricity transmission line. The data mentions that 16.64 percent have access to other renewable energy. Of the 10 districts of Karnali, Humla has not yet reached the national transmission line. The national transmission line reached Mugu and Dolpa districts only 2 years ago. 

The Electricity Authority Provincial Office, Surkhet, has data on the lack of electricity transmission lines in 13 local levels in Karnali. According to the office, the number of households in Karnali that have received electricity from the national transmission line is 279,078. 35,698 households have received electricity from small and micro hydropower projects, while 244,344 households have access to solar energy.