Minister Khadka dismisses load shedding rumors as baseless social media hype

KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, has dismissed recent rumors of load shedding in Nepal as mere social media speculation, asserting that there is no truth to claims of nationwide power cuts.

Speaking at a meeting of the Infrastructure Development Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Minister Khadka stated that such rumors are being spread for cheap popularity.

He clarified that except for scheduled maintenance or unforeseen technical issues, there is no reason for electricity outages.

“Temporary power disruptions have occurred from time to time in the past due to storms, fallen poles, or human factors,” the minister explained. He noted that even last year, Nepal experienced about 700 hours of scattered power outages, not due to energy shortages but external factors.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, he said, “There is no scenario of load shedding, and there won’t be in the years to come. The only reason for any power interruption would be scheduled maintenance work.”

Minister Khadka also shared that he often receives calls from Nepalis living abroad who complain about power cuts back home. “Sometimes people call me even at midnight claiming there’s no power. But when I inquire about the specific location, I often find that power supply was not interrupted in that area,” he said.

He urged the public not to fall for misinformation and emphasized the importance of verifying facts before spreading panic.

The ministry, he added, regularly issues public notices to inform citizens in case of any planned disruptions.

Minister Khadka further clarified that there is no power shortage in the country and that during times of lower domestic production, electricity is imported to meet national demand.

He highlighted that Nepal’s path to prosperity lies in harnessing its strengths in energy, tourism, and agriculture.