Generate & Distribute

IT is a common knowledge that Nepal is sitting on potentials of generating 83,000 megawatts of electricity while after decades of hydropower development the actual generation at present amounts to only a fraction of the potentials i.e 584 megawatt. It is also a common knowledge that because we have been able to generate only this much, only about 20 per cent of the Nepalese are currently covered by the electricity grid, requiring the other 80 per cent of the population to live in the dark, so to say. What is not so widely known and comes as a surprise that of the total of 2,088 megawatt hour electricity produced by Nepal Electricity Authority--the central power agency-through its electricity generation system till the end of the fiscal year 2058/59, only 1575 megawatt hour electricity was sold and distributed to the people. Of that, 1432 megawatt hour of electricity was consumed in Nepal and 143 megawatt exported to India. What this means is that there is quite a bit of generated electricity, that is not utilised. Apparently, the distribution system is not par with what is being generated and potentials of power exports not fully exploited.

At the anniversary function of NEA the other day, it was revealed that a number of hydel plants in the pipeline like mid-Marsyangdi, Chamellya, Kulekhani-III, Upper Karnali and Upper Tamakoshi projects will be commissioned in the next eight or nine years. Moreover, the projects that are being prepared to be signed in the coming year alone would, when they are commissioned, yield 3000 more megawatt electricity. Clearly, the future of power scene in Nepal is much brighter than it is now. Hydel plants are costly projects and take a long time in coming to fruition. So, there is much wisdom in the common suggestion that NEA do its utmost in checking the leakage that is occurring. Though NEA's financial position in recent times is reported to be getting better, the less leakage would certainly mean its finances will get even better and it will be able to serve better its present 878,000 clients and the future ones too. At the same time, it will have to renew its efforts to distribute the power that is already generated. If the distribution system can't keep pace with the generated amount, then it defeats the whole purpose of creating more and more hydel plants. It will seem unacceptable that many rural areas continue to be deprived of the power, so essential to drive the economy there, while the generated electricity remains unutilised.

More Improved Seeds, Please!

THE National Seed Board of Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, has recommended a new variety of corn, "Manakamana 3", for cultivation due its high yield, resistance to leaf disease caused by the turcicum, tolerance to weeds and earlier ripening period. According to NARC, the recommended corn, "Manakamana 3", gives 40 per cent more corn than the local variety and its yield potential is 10,600 kgs. per hectare. With the latest recommendation, 15 varieties of corn have been recommended for cultivation by NARC so far. While NARC should be duly commended for its laudable contribution, what also goes without saying is that if coming up with new high-yielding varieties of seed is but one aspect in its praiseworthy attempt to boost agricultural output, then availing the farmers with necessary inputs like fertilisers, insecticides and farm extension services is its other aspect. In fact, these two aspects are so closely inter-related that in an absence of either one, it would be next to impossible to hope for the desired output or yield. As such, while it is to be hoped that NARC's latest recommendation concerning the high-yielding variety of corn would be backed by the above mentioned inputs, that the need for NARC to constantly come up with newer varieties of high-yield corn hardly needs any reiteration here.

For, as it is well known to all, including the agricultural scientists and researchers, howsoever highly recommended a new variety of corn may be, over a span of time, its ability to sustain, leave alone yield, the expected amount of corn harvest tends to gradually deteriorate. And, along with it, its resistance to plant diseases or adverse soil and weather conditions. But then, such symptoms are inherent in almost all genetically altered or engineered seeds-which, like all mono-culltured plants and crops, tend to exhaust their vaunted potentials sooner or later through over-utility. This is all the reason more for our agriculture scientists and researchers to keep on constantly coming up with newer-and, undoubtedly, high-yielding--seeds in their research centres and laboratories. While they are at it, it also looks to reason for them to collect and preserve our indigenous crops' germplasms. For, without them, it would be difficult for new varieties of seed to survive in the climatic, weather and soil conditions obtained in our country.