KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 23

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has started a dialogue to remove obstruction of locals in construction of Lapsiphedi substation, which has also affected the construction of five towers along the Tamakosi-Kathmandu 400 kV transmission line.

A team, including NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising, Shankharapur Municipality Mayor Ramesh Napit and other stakeholders, inspected the substation construction site on Thursday.

The team held discussions with the ward chairperson, officials of the concerned committee and the local residents and requested them not to obstruct the construction of the substation.

Ghising assured that the human settlements will not be affected when a substation is built in the middle of a settlement and that the construction of the substation will make the electricity supply reliable in that area and new opportunities will be created for establishment of industries.

Ghising clarified that there are more than 11 substations in Kathmandu valley in the midst of densely populated areas.

Urging not to politicise the construction of substation, he said, 'We are ready to invest in infrastructure development in this area under our corporate social responsibility. We will build a substation in such a way as to provide maximum benefits to the local people in terms of employment and construction work.'

Stating that problems can be resolved through dialogues and discussions, he said, 'Since the substation will be built in a specific area, it can even be beautified and developed as a tourist area.'

Meanwhile, the participants in the discussion demanded that the substation and the transmission line be shifted to another place as it will have impact on environmental, social, economic and cultural aspects of the area.

The NEA has commenced the construction of 400 kV, 220 kV and 132 kV substations in Lapsiphedi for distribution of electricity generated by the hydropower projects constructed on Tamakoshi and Sunkoshi rivers mainly to the Kathmandu valley.

The project has been started with a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank to make the electricity supply reliable in Kathmandu valley and to expand the transmission network.

The compensation amount was fixed for acquisition of 170 ropanis of land of about 70 landowners for construction of Lapsiphedi substation in January of 2018.

Everyone, except the landowner of one unit, has already received the compensation amount. However, locals have been obstructing the construction since three years demanding that the substation be shifted away from the human settlement.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 24, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.