Nepal, March 20 -- A day after Nepal's Energy Minister confirmed the return of power cuts, the government has formally requested India to supply 230 MW of electricity during evening hours.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation made the request via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which conveyed the proposal to the Indian Embassy. Facing increasing load-shedding in industries, Nepal has sought India's assistance in providing electricity between 6 pm and 10 pm.

The request comes in the wake of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka's announcement on March 19, where he informed the National Assembly that Nepal would face evening power cuts due to supply shortages. Khadka acknowledged that the government could no longer avert load-...