Flood destroyed homes, but power utility still bills victims
Some victims say the Nepal Electricity Authority refused ward office recommendations to disconnect electricity meters from destroyed homes, saying they needed a police report instead.Flood-damaged houses are seen behind a massive boulder swept downstream by the August 26 Bhotekoshi and Trishuli floods at Betrawati Bazar, Nuwakot, in the aftermath of the disaster. Post File Photo
Flood-displaced people in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts say they are still receiving electricity bills with VAT and penalties.
The Bhotekoshi flood on August 26 swept away homes, businesses, and farmland along the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. Hundreds were swept away in the disaster and thousands of people have been displaced.
Many of those forced to leave their homes and take shelter elsewhere have since received electricity bills carrying VAT and penalties from the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state-owned power utility.
“Thank you, government! We have had no place to live since August 26, but our electricity bill for Bhadra (August 17- September 16) has increased with penalties and VAT,” Rabindra Nepal, ward 7 chair of Bidur Municipality, wrote on Facebook.
“The flood also buried my business in sand. I have run out of balance on eSewa [digital wallet]. I will pay the bill once the government sends the rent assistance. Please don’t cut off the electricity. I have switched off the lights on the ground floor and kept the lights on upstairs so that the neighbourhood does not remain dark.”
Some victims say that even after their houses were swept away, the authorities continued to bill them for electricity, along with VAT and penalties. Some of them obtained recommendation letters from their ward offices asking the power utility to disconnect the electricity meters installed in their destroyed homes, but the utility has reportedly refused to accept the letters.
“They have asked us to come with a police report,” Krishna Prasad Paudel of Tupche in ward 7 of Bidur Municipality wrote on Facebook. “At a time when we are already struggling with the consequences of the disaster, this has added to our hardship.”
NEA spokesperson Rajan Dhakal acknowledged that bills sent to affected and displaced customers may have included penalties and the tax recently increased by the government.
“Our system may have generated and sent the bills automatically,” he said. “A decision has been made to stop billing affected customers. I will instruct the department concerned, accordingly.”
The Bhotekoshi flood killed 1,453 people and 5,285 remain missing, while the government has reported that more than 7,500 houses were destroyed or damaged.
In some cases, electricity meters were also swept away along with the houses.
Arjun Poudel is a health reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before joining the Post, he worked for Sagarmatha Television, Naya Patrika, Republica and The Himalayan Times.
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