Baglung, August 8
There’s no telephone network in more than a dozen village development committees in western parts of Baglung district. This is because 10 of Nepal Telecom’s BTS towers are not functioning due to the shortage of electricity.
This has affected the entire gamut of the public sector utility’s telecom services in the district where electricity supply has suffered after rain-induced flooding caused damage to 20 hydels about two weeks ago.
According to users, NT’s landline phone, prepaid and postpaid mobile phone as well as Sky services have come to a halt. NT (Baglung) said it is making efforts to operate BTS towers again.
NT engineer, Amrit Nepal, said they are sending equipment to bring BTS towers in five places into operation.
It is learnt that NT services will resume in Bongadovan, Devisthan, Darling and Khungkhani in a few days. Resumption of NT services in other VDCs, like Adhikarichaur and Burtibang, will take time.
NT plans to operate these towers for now by using low-capacity solar power systems. This way, NT says, landline phone service can be brought back into operation in Burtibang Bazaar and the vicinity.
Efforts are on to resume services by using generators in some other places. Transporting equipment has become a tough ask with roads in bad shape due to flooding and landslides.
In VDCs west of Gwalichaur, no telephone network is working, Ritu Barna Poudel of Burtibang said.
With micro-hydros shut due to flooding and landsldies, more than 10,000 families are living in the dark. Generation of 835 KW has come to a halt as projects have suffered damage.
With a large number of micro-hydros shut due to flooding and landsldies, more than 10,000 families have no option but to live in the dark. Generation of 835 KW has come to a halt as projects have suffered damage due to monsoon-related disasters.
