When the 2015 earthquake affected Nauli Khola Micro Hydropower Project in Gorkha’s Dharche, locals were compelled to put their television sets to rest. They had to depend on solar power and tuki (kerosene lamp) for light; some had to walk for nearly an hour to charge their cell phones. “The past four years have been very troublesome,” Santa Bahadur Gurung, a local, told the Post.

The locals have now started to repair their electrical appliances that had stopped working after years of disuse, as the central transmission line has started to power the houses. The first round of the transmission has lit up ten houses.

“We have started to watch world news now,” said Beli Gurung, who recently repaired her TV set. “The access to electricity has also eased my kids’ studies.”

The district has been reeling with power outage ever since the earthquakes, with some government offices getting by with solar power. The quakes damaged two of the major micro hydroelectric projects, Nauli Khola (30KW) and Bhotkhola (45KW).

“We had to live without electricity for so many years,” said Dhan Bahadur Gurung, a local trader.

The drive to supply electricity from the central transmission line was convened only at the beginning of this fiscal year.

Niraj Poudel of the Arughat Distribution Centre said his office has completed setting up poles in an area of about 15 km. “Almost fifty percent of the work is complete,” he said. “We aim to supply electricity to Machhakhola by April.” According to Poudel, a total of Rs 20 million was allocated to take electricity to Machhakhola, and Rs 60 million for the district’s eastern belt.

Following the quakes, over 600 households were cut off from power supply in the district.