Nepal Electricity Authority has increased load shedding period from the existing 77 to 86 hours per week effective from Monday.

With the change in schedule, people will be without electricity for up to 14 hours a day. The depleting water level in rivers feeding major hydropower plants has compelled the authority to make such a move.

According to Ram Chandra Pandey, deputy managing director at the NEA, power generation has come down to less than 300 megawatt.

While the state-owned utility currently supplies around 500MW power, including 200MW it imports from India, the peak demand stands at 1,300MW.

“A surge in the electricity demand in the wake of an acute fuel shortage has also prompted the NEA to increase power cuts,” Pandey said.

Electricity demand in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur has jumped to around 350MW now, up from 240-250MW at normal times.

Though the government had pledged power supply during “cooking time”, the new schedule leaves people without electricity to cook their meals for at least three days a week.