Power Crisis
As the country has been passing through severe power crisis with more than 36 hours of power cuts every week, your cover story on over congestion in transmission lines (January 25-31) shows another very bleak scenario of future power supply in Nepal. All of us are now concentrating our efforts to build new power houses to generate additional electricity but only a few people have paid attention to transmission lines by which we can supply the power. I hope policy makers will take the issue seriously.
Sangam Rana
Via-email
Problem Overlooked
I agree with your cover story that we have been overlooking one of the important problems regarding transmission lines. The existing transmission lines are said to have been fully used up leaving very little space for any more power to pass through them. The lines have become urgent not only to realize the potential of exporting power but even to transmit power from one place to another. It is very interesting know that the country needs to pump in over Rs. 15 billion to upgrade the transmission infrastructures. How does Nepal spend such a huge resource remains to be seen.
Rohit Shrestha
Via-email
Resource Crunch
After reading your cover story, I came to realize that Nepal needs to spend resources to upgrade the transmission lines. In the last decade, Nepal had very little amount of money to improve and upgrade the transmission lines. Even if we can produce the electricity power, we cannot supply power to the people without effective transmission lines. Along with developing the power projects, the government needs to carry out the transmission construction works. As the government has been spending its resources to build the power projects, congested transmission lines will create problems in future.
Subhadra Karki
Via-email
Doubts Over Polls
When common people have been expressing doubts over the elections for the Constituent Assembly in April, conviction of three emerging leaders of country’s major political parties justifies people’s calculations. The analysis and arguments given by the writer on CA Polls: Elusive Conviction is very strong. If the leaders of country’s major political parties are doubtful, on what ground can common people be confident that the election will be held on time. Spotlight needs to publish such opinions.
Sushma Khatiwada
Via-email London
Death Of A Legend
The death of Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to scale the Mt Everest, is shocking as well as painful as Hillary’s contribution to Nepal, in general, and Solukhmbu, in particular, is immense. Thanks to his personal efforts, backward Sherpa communities got opportunity to prove themselves as greater mountaineers. Despite facing trauma in his family after the death of his wife and daughter in helicopter crash in Nepal, Hillary continued his quest to help and support the people of Solukhumbu. Nepalese have to pay high respect to late Hillary whose contribution helped to popularize Nepal as an independent country in the world. I agree with you that the death of Sir Edmund Hillary is a great loss for Nepal.
Nima Sherpa
Montreal via-email
Two Boulders
Sandwiched between Asia’s two most populous countries, India and China, Nepal’s destiny and tranquility is dependent upon the quality of relations between these two giants ( Nepal: In a Zone of Conflict or Peace?). As India’s renowned strategic analyst Brahma Chellany said, it is the national interest of a country, which matters most, than the political system. His argument that India needs to woo military junta to pursue its own security interest in Burma shows that there is no bigger interest for the countries other than their national interests. One can easily guess that Nepal policy of both the countries is also guided by their own national interests. Thus, India and China’s relation determines whether Nepal is going to have peace or conflict.
Subodh Lama
New York Via-email
Minister's Conviction
Minister for Water Resources Gyanendra Bahadur Karki rightly pointed out the need to implement West Seti Hydro Power Project to uplift the economy of poor people living in far western region of Nepal. As it involves many countries and donors including Australia, China, India and Asian Development Bank, this is going to be a first model project to generate hydro power to export India. I don’t understand why some so called non-governmental organizations and people with vested interests have been opposing this project. People - who killed Arun III project giving all kinds of false technical datas and arguments - are now leading anti-West Seti Drive. I would like to congratulate Minister Karki for his bold stand to back West Seti. This is time to build a model project with an aim to export power to India.
Sujan Karki
Via e-mail
No Relief From Power Cuts
After reading Water Resouces Minister Karki’s interview, I have realized that there is going to be no relief from load-shedding for this generation as it will take at least a decade to complete the projects which can feed enough energy in Nepal’s grid. Although there are so many dubious statements, minister Karki seems to have taken certain important steps to implement the projects. I don’t understand why minister Karki hurriedly issued license of Upper Karnali and Arun III to Indian companies.
Sumitra Shrestha
Via e-mail
