Load Shedding

The country has some interesting experience to share from its existing 12 hours power cuts. Nepal Police says that incidences of robbery & petty crimes go up during the dark hours. Hospitals refuse accepting emergency & injury cases due to their inability to operate such vital machines like MRI & CT. Nepali doctors are adding laurels to their professionalism and ask for extra privilege & protection for their success in “Candlelight Operations”. Nepal’s radio & TV networks have officially announced a five hours’ closure of “informing the public”. The dailies publish students’ complaint letters lamenting how their exam & career are affected by continual load-shedding.

http://drdivas.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/sixteen-hour-load-shedding-in-nepal-how-the-hell-can-one-run-the-government/

I wrote about this topic before arriving in Nepal, now I have lived it. The current weekly schedule for our area is about like this:

Hours of No Power

Sunday   5:00 -10:00 AM   5:45-9:45 PM

Monday   5:30-10:30 AM    2:00-6:00 PM

Tuesday  8:00-1:00 A/P     4:00-8:00 PM

Wed       9:00-2:00 A/P     5:00-9:00PM

Thursday 10:00-3:00 A/P   6:00-10:00PM

Friday       4:00-9:00AM     1:00-5:00 PM

Sat           4:00-8:00AM     1:00-6:00 PM

Next week will be an entirely different schedule. Of course it is not the same for all areas. Thus, you have to know the schedule for the area you are going to if you happen to need electricity for business purposes.

Talking to a friend tonight back in the states, they were commenting on how desperate we get when we are without power for a few hours. I responded with the worst case scenario which is no power, freezing cold, and total darkness. Yes, I do have candles. Yes, I do have flashlights. They only go so far. Reading under the blankets with a flashlight in a frigid bedroom...sucks.

On the other hand to all those electricians reading this blog, check these photos out and I am sure you will be amazed that connectivity is retained at all, ever.

Well the good news is, looking at tomorrow's schedule, I won't have to boil water in the middle of the night for coffee tomorrow 'cause the power will be on 'till 9:00 AM. Little things mean so much when you're far from home.