NEA urges swift completion of transmission line project to ensure electricity supply

KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has issued a fervent plea for the expeditious completion of the transmission line from Markichowk of Aanbukhairni Rural Municipality in Tanahun to the New Bharatpur Substation located at Aanptari of Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan under the Marsyangdi Corridor 220 kV transmission line project.

A delegation led by NEA Managing Director Kul Man Ghising and Deputy Managing Director Pradeep Kumar Thike conducted a site visit to monitor the progress of construction activities and emphasized the urgency of completing the Markichowk-New Bharatpur transmission line. They stressed its critical role in ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to the national grid, particularly during the rainy season.

Discussions with project management and contractors revealed that construction progress has been hindered by lengthy legal procedures for land use in forested areas and approval for tree felling, compounded by underperformance by the construction company.

Ghising highlighted the looming risk of wasting 200-300 megawatts of electricity if the Markichowk-New Bharatpur section remains unfinished by June. He underscored the significance of enhancing transmission line capacity to facilitate electricity supply from Kathmandu to Hetauda and to support electricity exports to India.

NEA urged local authorities, including the chief district officer of Chitwan and the head of the division forest office, to expedite approval processes for land use and tree felling in forested areas, urging their full cooperation to expedite construction.

The project entails the use of 69.69 hectares of national forest land and the felling of 10,225 trees for the transmission line from Udipur in Lamjung to New Bharatpur via Gorkha and Tanahun.

The Council of Ministers granted approval for land use and tree felling in the forest area on February 8. Construction progress includes the laying of 35 towers out of 80 in the Markichowk-New Bharatpur section.

Four substations of 220 kV capacity are under construction as part of the Marsyangdi Corridor Transmission Line Project, with the New Bharatpur substation in Chitwan already completed. Substations at Udipur and Khudi in Lamjung and Dharapani in Manang are in progress.

The project aims to integrate electricity generated from Marsyangdi and its tributaries into the national transmission system, enabling the supply of up to 1,600 megawatts of electricity. The 113 km double-circuit transmission line from Bharatpur in Chitwan to Dharapani in Manang, with an estimated cost of around Rs. 16 billion, is financed by the government and a concessional loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).