KATHMANDU, Feb. 29 -- The NEA paid as high as Rs 16 per unit for imported electricity in this dry season

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) paid as high as Rs 16 per unit to import electricity from India to meet the energy demand in the dry season this year.

Currently, the country's peak domestic demand for energy stands at 1,860 MW. According to the NEA, the electricity production has dropped as low as 1,300 MW, way down from the installed capacity of over 2,800 MW, with the drop in water level in rivers.

With the onset of winter, the NEA has been importing electricity since the first week of December. At present, the state-owned power utility has been importing around 500 MW of electricity from the southern neighbor on a daily basis....