Surkhet, March 17 -- When Pahal Bahadur KC of Birendranagar municipality ward 6 in Surkhet saw a transmission line being built in his hometown a year and a half ago, his happiness knew no bounds.

People like KC soon started to throw away the solar panels that once lit their homes.

His joy, however, was short-lived.

"We are connected by the national grid. But it's only in name. It's useless," said KC.

A frantic KC says every hour, they see power cuts 5 to 6 times.

"Electrical appliances are being damaged by power fluctuations. It's a big problem here."

Karnali, a far-flung province, struggles to turn on the lights.

Nine out of ten districts, except Humla, of the province are now connected to the national grid.

According to the Nepa...