Kathmandu, April 10

A new 33/11 kV Juropani substation has been commissioned and is now operational in Gwaldubba and Juropani of Gauradah Municipality-7 in Jhapa.

The substation was built as part of the Distribution System Strengthening and Expansion Project, managed by the Project Management Directorate of the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The operation of this new substation will help to solve the issue of low voltage experienced by electricity consumers from Gauradah in Jhapa all the way to the southern border of Nepal with India.

The Juropani substation is equipped with a power transformer of 6-8 MVA capacity and has five 11 kV feeder lines to provide local power supply.

The 11 kV feeders from Gauradah, Maharani, Bagundhura, and Gauriganj have been disconnected from the substation, and an additional feeder has been kept in reserve.

The substation was charged and brought into operation on Sunday. As of now, only the Maharani feeder has been activated in the initial phase, and the remaining feeders will be brought online gradually in due course.

Until recently, the Padajugi (Damak) 132 kV substation is providing electricity supply through an 11 kV distribution line to various areas, including Goradah, Juropani, Maharani, Gauriganj, and other nearby regions.

Due to the significant length of the 11 kV distribution line, the area had been experiencing issues such as low voltage and tripping.

Since the Juropani substation began supplying electricity, the issues faced by consumers in the area have been resolved. The electricity supply has become more stable, reliable, and of better quality. As a result, farmers in the region are now able to effectively irrigate their fields using electric motors.

According to Durgadatta Subedi, assistant engineer of the project, after the new substation was brought into operation, the Kutanipisani mill is being supplied power through 400-volt line, which has helped in operating its equipment more efficiently.

'The Kutanipisani mill in the area was previously supplied with a 280-volt line.'

Currently, an 18 km long 33 kV line is under construction from Padajugi to Juropani.

However, in some locations, the line installation work has been obstructed by local residents.

To address the electricity supply issue in the Gauradah area, an alternative system has been implemented.

A line has been installed from the side of Padajugi-Gaurigunj road, and Juropani substation has been activated to provide the necessary power supply.

The substation was constructed with investments from the Nepal government and NEA, as well as concessional loan provided by the Asian Development Bank.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 11, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.