Kathmandu- Private Nepalese television stations Thursday announced several hours of cuts to regular broadcasts, citing growing power outages.

Television Broadcasters' Nepal, an umbrella body of five private stations, said they would no longer be able to keep up round-the- clock broadcasts due to power outages.

The government-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) earlier Thursday announced 12 hours of power cuts across the country, saying it was unable to meet demand.

"We are compelled to declare emergency and cut our regular broadcast by five hours in our 24-hour programme schedule because of the crippling power outage," a statement issued by the body said.

The body urged the government to make alternative arrangements to supply electricity to television stations.

Electricity production had fallen to just a quarter of the demand because of low water levels in reservoirs and rivers that feed the country's hydroelectricity plants, according to the NEA.

The situation had worsened during Nepal's dry winter season and the power outage could increase up to 16 hours a day from mid- January, the authority said.

Nepalese industries have already warned that continued power outages could seriously affect the country's economy which is only now emerging from years of internal conflict.

Nepal produces only half of the electricity it needs and had been importing the rest from India. But floods in the Koshi River in September washed away the main transmission lines used for importing power from India.

Authorities have said it could be months before these could be repaired and brought into service. (dpa)