Electricity Disruption Hits 800 Households in Jumla After Hydropower Canal Damage

Nearly 800 households in the district have been plunged into darkness for two consecutive days due to an electricity disruption, attributed to the failure of the Dillichaur hydropower project to generate power. The halt in power generation was caused by a water supply cutoff resulting from damage to the canal that feeds water to the hydropower plant. According to reports, the canal sustained a 25-meter stretch of damage due to a landslide, leaving residents without electricity since Sunday.

Krishna Bahadur Budha, Chairman of Vidyut Cooperatives, expressed remorse over the situation, highlighting the lack of timely repairs despite earlier notices of cracks in the canal walls. Budha disclosed that technicians estimate the reconstruction of the damaged canal to cost Rs 600 thousand. The affected households, primarily from ward numbers 4, 5, and 6 of Patarasi rural municipality, have faced not only the inconvenience of living without electricity but also disruptions in the operations of government offices, banks, and financial institutions.

In response to the crisis, the rural municipality has allocated Rs 300 thousand for the reconstruction of the hydropower canal. Purna Singh Bohara, Chairperson of the rural municipality, assured that efforts are underway to restore power supply at the earliest.