Kathmandu to face eight days of power outages for underground cabling

Residents in several parts of Kathmandu will experience daily power outages over the next eight days as the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) continues its project to move overhead power lines underground. The utility provider announced that electricity supply will be suspended for five and a half hours each day, from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm, starting Friday, October 30, and continuing through November 6.

The maintenance work is being conducted under the Kuleshwar and Baneshwar distribution centres. According to reports from OnlineKhabar, Nepal Khabar, and Nepal News, the outages are scheduled to affect specific feeders on a rotational basis to facilitate the infrastructure upgrades.

Schedule of power cuts

The NEA has released a detailed timeline for the affected areas:

• October 30: Hyvision Colony area under the Balambu, Thankot, and Matatirtha feeders.
• October 31: The stretch from Kalanki Ring Road to the Syuchatar substation under the Sitapaila feeder.
• November 1: The area between Kalanki Chowk and Dhungeadda under the Kalanki, Thankot, and Ropeway feeders.
• November 2: The section from Kalanki Ring Road to the Syuchatar substation under the Bafal feeder.
• November 3: The area from UN Park to Bijulibazar under the Sankhamul feeder.
• November 4 and 6: Dhaulagiri Awas and the Matatirtha PSS area under the Satungal feeder.
• November 5: The Hajma Pul area under the Syuchatar SS feeder.

Operational warnings

The authority has advised consumers in these regions to plan their activities accordingly to mitigate the impact of the service disruption. Furthermore, the NEA cautioned that the maintenance schedule is subject to change. As noted by both OnlineKhabar and the Nepal Electricity Authority, the planned work may be cancelled or rescheduled if weather conditions prove unfavourable.

This project is part of a broader initiative by the NEA to improve the reliability and safety of the capital's power distribution network by replacing traditional overhead wires with underground cables. While the work is essential for long-term grid stability, the temporary outages are expected to cause significant inconvenience to households and businesses in the affected zones.