Electricity from the public mains is most convenient while uninterrupted supply is essential. Unfortunately the situation is unsatisfactory.

Interruptions are classified as the "shutdown" - a planned procedure or the "breakdown" - a fault outage. Both affect consumer but in different manner.

For industrial consumer a shutdown results in the loss of productivity, which in extreme cases may cause business survival problems. A breakdown results in excessive wastage in different forms apart from the overall loss of production.

For small shopowners using equipments like the photocopier or an electric welding or lathe machine etc., outage means the loss of earning. The loss incurred by the customers is in addition.

Domestic consumer undergoes inconvenience due to the non-operation of home appliances like the lights, fans, heaters, iron, washing machines, the ACs, fridges and deep-freezers. Frequent fluctuations damage the machinery. Students suffer from power interruptions in many ways.

Commercial activities are now mainly based on electronic information. Cash register machines on shop counters and computers in banks or travel agencies are extensively used for business transactions. Power failure disturbs the working in offices.

Stable supply is an essential pre-requisite for paperless working. Uninterrupted power supply (UPS) is essential for the protection of computers. Installation of the UPS of adequate capacity involves additional cost and space. Telecommunications security and defence installations invariably have backup power supply arrangements.

Major user is the manufacturing industry like the textile, garments, pharmaceutical, food processing, plastic moulding, printing press, etc. The outage time means loss of production and labour.

This also results in inferior quality and defective output. There is also the probability of loss of business due to delayed delivery. Associations may conduct formal survey to ascertain its impact.

Apart from the wastage of material and damage to machines interruptions may also cause injury to workers. Cold storage industry can absorb short duration interruptions but prolonged outages may result in heavy losses.

We are not having urban electric powered transportation system. Adoption of electric traction system for public transport is not possible without making adequate and reliable power supply arrangements. Most importantly the electricity failure during night hours poses great safety and security risk in all localities.

Breakdowns often occur due to physical disruption of power transmission and distribution lines. Breaking away of overhead lines and damage to underground cables are caused due to digging operations.

Protective devices like the circuit-breakers or fuses operate in case of overloading and short-circuits. Faulty design of the protection system or its improper grading may also trip the power supply even in non-hazardous conditions.

The probability of physical disruption is enhanced if the power entity staff does not follow proper construction or installation procedures. Often the repair is done on temporary basis and not properly fixed thereafter. Such works are safety risks.

Stealing of electric power is the main cause of system overloading. Theft poses great difficulty in developing appropriate operational plans. The losses incurred are compensated through high tariffs thus penalizing the innocent customers.

To overcome the shortage consumption is being discouraged through tariffs, a strange business. Regimented efforts were made for checking the pilferage of power but with partial success.

A shutdown is an announced outage of power. It is required to carry out certain works on lines or to energized the equipments. Attending faults or periodic maintenance need this.

Power supply systems are often designed for diversion to standby links or units (lines or equipment) to minimize the outage time. A good designed, constructed and maintained system should not be subjected to frequent faults.

Shutdown and breakdown also results in economic losses. These disturb the determined load schedules as the industries may try to make up production loss by working during off period. Loss of an individual, industry and power entity is the national loss.

The government has been licensing power supply entities under the pre-independence Electricity Act. Compliance of the license conditions and the safety of consumer premises is being checked by inspectors.

The Electricity Act provides guidance on power supply and protective measures. To induce the private sector, a regulatory entity the National Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), has been established.

Nepra is also required to publish and enforce operating regulations. The rights of consumers are protected. International business is gaining new dimensions. The free trade, environmental issues and the standard quality requirements may prevail on global basis.

Cheap, readily and easily available, stable and reliable power supply can help us in competing with the world market and meeting the challenges of the coming times.