The work in Nepal's only major hydropower project Middle Marshyangdi that is under construction has been closed down from Friday, local Kantipur daily reported on Sunday.

All eight contractors working there informed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) that they postponed the construction work there due to threat from the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) ( formerly known as guerrilla).

But, spokesperson of the CPN Krishna Bahadur Mahara claimed that they were not obstructing the work there. "The contractors are just making pretension," he added.

When the nation is facing a severe load shedding, the closure of work in the 72-megawatt project will force the Nepali people to live in the darkness for more hours.