Kathmandu — Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Deepak Khadka has said that community-led small and micro-hydropower projects are helping end darkness in rural Nepal.
Speaking at the 8th General Assembly of the National Association of Small and Micro Hydropower Consumers, he called the initiative a milestone in bringing electricity to remote and difficult areas. Nearly 2,000 groups and individuals are now producing more than 40 megawatts of power through such projects across the country, he noted.
Khadka said the projects have improved living standards and driven socio-economic change, but warned that professional management and financial transparency are essential for their future. “When loans are treated like grants, it creates problems. Institutions must shift to sustainable business models,” he remarked.
He also underlined the government’s priority of extending the national grid to every local level. Nepal has set a long-term target of generating 28,500 megawatts of electricity, and Khadka said the government is moving forward decisively.
At the event, Alternative Energy Promotion Center Executive Director Navaraj Dhakal and other contributors were honored for their work. Speakers called for stronger policies and institutional support to keep small and micro-hydropower projects sustainable and to build on the positive changes they have brought to rural life.
