𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠

…𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔

By Leki Chungdon

Frequent electricity cut-offs have caused significant disruption to local businesses in Norbugang Gewog, Samtse Dzongkhag, leaving owners frustrated and operations paralyzed. According to business owners, the unexpected outages make it impossible to operate essential kitchen equipment, preserve perishable goods, or serve customers. One owner described the lack of prior notice or explanation as “highly unprofessional and unacceptable,” emphasizing that the interruptions have resulted in substantial financial losses and operational inconvenience.

Business owners have urged the electricity provider to investigate the cause of the outages and restore power immediately. They have also requested timely communication if the disruption is due to billing issues or technical faults so that it can be resolved without further delay. The incidents highlight concerns over the impact of sudden utility interruptions on businesses that rely heavily on electricity for daily operations, particularly in the hospitality and customer service sectors.

Ran Bahadur Ghaley, owner of Brothers Enterprise in Norbugang, expressed frustration over the recurring electricity disruptions. He said, “We experience sudden power cuts, sometimes lasting half an hour or even longer, and these occur both during the day and at night. Since I handle all the printing works for the gewog, such outages directly affect my business. In this hot weather, working without electricity becomes extremely difficult, not only for operations but also for basic comfort and survival.

Although the immediate financial loss may not be very large, there are still consistent setbacks, particularly in printing and lamination work, which require uninterrupted power supply. Over time, even these ‘minimum losses’ add up and affect the efficiency and reliability of services I provide to the community. The issue is not new; we have been facing frequent electricity problems for quite some time. At times, we receive advance notice about scheduled outages, but more often than not, the power cuts happen without any explanation or prior warning. This unpredictability creates inconvenience and hampers our ability to plan work properly.

During the monsoon season, the situation becomes worse, as power failures are often triggered by lightning strikes and storm-related disruptions. Altogether, these challenges affect not only small businesses like mine but also the daily lives of people in our community. Consistent and reliable electricity is crucial for us to work efficiently, serve the public, and maintain even a basic standard of living.”

Subash Limbu, a restaurant owner in Norbugang, said frequent electricity outages have become a serious challenge for his business. “Honestly, I do not know much about the reasons behind these power cuts, because most of the time we are busy working in the kitchen. What I do know is that we face the same electricity problems as everyone else in the community. I am not sure where to lodge a complaint or how to manage the situation when the power goes out.

For restaurants, a reliable power supply is absolutely essential. We depend on it to run the kitchen, prepare food on time, and provide fans for the comfort of our customers, especially in this hot weather. When the electricity suddenly goes off, sometimes for two or three hours at a stretch, it slows down our service, delays orders, and leaves customers dissatisfied.

This is not a new problem. We have been facing the same issue in the past, and it continues today without much improvement. If the situation persists, it could become a very serious problem for businesses like ours. Power outages don’t just affect daily operations, they also threaten our reputation, our ability to serve customers properly, and ultimately the survival of small restaurants that already operate on thin margins.”

The Manager of the Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) office in Norbugang clarified that there is no major electricity cut-off problem at present. “On September 3, 2025, we issued a public notification explaining that occasional power interruptions and voltage fluctuations in Samtse Dzongkhag were due to the ongoing construction of new transmission lines and substations for the Norbugang Industrial Park, as well as the upgradation of the AIS to GIS system in the Samtse and Tashichholing areas. These works are being undertaken to strengthen the overall power supply network, improve reliability, and meet the rapidly growing electricity demand in the Dzongkhag. Such issues were expected to occur temporarily until the completion of these projects.”

He added, “The work has already been completed about a week ago. Apart from one recent power shortage caused by lightning strikes, which has since been resolved, there are currently no significant electricity supply problems in Norbugang.”

Ram, the electronics shop owner in Norbugang, said frequent and unpredictable power cuts have been a major challenge for businesses. “Electricity supply is often interrupted. Sometimes it goes off because of heavy rains that cause landslides, which is understandable. But even when the weather is perfectly fine, the power still gets cut without any clear reason or at least without any explanation given to us. The outages can last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to several hours, and in some cases the entire night or even a whole day.

For households, these disruptions may be manageable, but for businesses in a growing town like ours, reliable power is critical. I run an electronics shop, and electricity is required almost constantly. For example, when a customer comes to purchase a mobile charger, I need to test the product before selling it. If there is no power, I cannot check it, and this undermines customer confidence. Similarly, printing services get disrupted. If the power goes off in the middle of a printing job, the paper is wasted and customers leave frustrated.

Another problem is voltage fluctuation. When we test phones or chargers and the power suddenly switches on and off, the product can get damaged. Since our suppliers do not accept returns for damaged electronic goods, the loss falls entirely on us. In this way, power problems translate into direct financial losses. It’s not just electronics shops. Restaurants also suffer. For instance, if the electricity goes off while rice or other food is being cooked, it spoils. This creates waste, extra costs, and unhappy customers.

Sometimes, we do get prior notice of power cuts, but not always. We can understand short, unavoidable disruptions during storms, maybe lasting 10 to 30 minutes. But on ordinary days, when power is cut several times a day and for hours at a stretch, it becomes very difficult to run a business. These repeated outages slow down economic activity and hurt livelihoods in our community.”

Bikash Chhetri, a meat shop owner and poultry farmer, said, “There have been frequent electricity outages these days. As both a farmer and meat retailer, I process chicken and pork daily for my shop and supply meat to schools and institutions such as BLDCL in Thimphu, as well as other markets in Thimphu and Paro. My work begins as early as 5:00 a.m. and continues until 2:00 p.m., but power cuts during this period severely disrupt the processing, making it impossible for me to deliver on time.

Because of this, I have incurred losses on several occasions. The BPC has never issued prior notices or warnings before cutting the electricity supply, and whenever we try to lodge complaints or call, they fail to respond. I urge BPC to restore electricity within half an hour of any outage so that my business operations are not hampered.”