A Surkhet based community radio Dadadara FM shut down broadcast for 15 days after a local hydropower project cut off power on May 23 and resumed partially from June 7. Surkhet lies in Karnali Province of Nepal.
According to FF's representative Laxmi Bhandari, the radio was broadcasted through electricity produced at local Khamari Khola Micro Hydropower project and after power cut it has been broadcasting partially.
Talking to representative Bhandari, FM's station manager Amar Karki shared that they have been using 880 watt solar power installed in a local school nearby to partially broadcast the radio.
Station Manager Karki further informed that the project's Chair Jeevan Dhungana had ordered to cut off the power as he was unsatisfied with the radio for not publishing news of his interest.
Meanwhile, project's chair Dhungana defended that the station's power was cut to balance the electricity load in the municipality, according to representative Bhandari.
Freedom Forum is concerned over the obstruction caused on media as it is violation of media rights. At this time of crisis, free flow of information is a must to keep citizens informed thus, ensuring right to information which is best possible through media. Hence, FF strongly urges the local authority to adopt alternative ways of shedding electricity load rather than forcing media to shut down.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np