Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday inaugurated the 220 kV double circuit Hetauda-Bharatpur-Bardaghat transmission line and a gas-insulated sub-station at Bharatpur, which will connect to the electricity generated from the Marshyangdi River basin. After the 220 kV transmission line came into operation, around 1,000 MW of electricity can flow on both sides up to Hetauda in the east and Bardaghat in the west. It is estimated that as much as 1,600 MW of electricity will be produced from the Marshyangdi and its tributaries after many hydel projects under construction are completed. With the completion of the Hetauda-Bardaghat transmission line, the transmission line built from Manang's Dharapani along the Marshyangdi basin connects with the national grid, enabling electricity generated from the Marshyangdi basin to be evacuated to Hetauda, Kathmandu and Bardaghat. It will, however, take time for energy to flow up to the Birgunj industrial corridor as Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has yet to upgrade the transmission line from Hetauda to Birgunj, where the largest number of industries are located. The NEA has not been able to build high-capacity transmission lines from east to west at the same pace as the construction of hydel projects by private developers. Therefore, the energy generated by the private sector goes to waste for want of high capacity transmission lines along the trunk routes.

During the inauguration of the double circuit transmission line, PM Dahal said Nepal, India and Bangladesh have reached an agreement, in principle, to initially export 40 MW of electricity to Bangladesh from Nepal, and trading of up to 10,000 MW of energy with India in the next 10 years. PM Dahal also said he would reach an understanding with China to build transmission lines for electricity trade during his upcoming visit to China. Nepal's over-dependency when it comes to trading energy with India will come to an end once Nepal and China reach a deal to build the transmission lines. Improving the transmission lines and distribution system, and constructing cross-border transmission lines connecting India and China for exporting surplus energy will help Nepal become a powerhouse in South Asia.

However, the government and NEA must focus on utilising electricity within the country for household and industrial purposes. Electricity consumption in Nepal is very low compared to other South Asian countries. Many investors from India and China will be ready to make further investments in Nepal provided that electricity tariffs are cheaper than in India and China. As Nepal has now been able to general enough clean and green energy, mainly during the wet season, we must focus on using electric vehicles for urban commute and switching to electricity for cooking purposes. We can thus save billions of rupees in hard-earned foreign currency if the people are encouraged to use a maximum amount of electricity for cooking and industrial purposes. Many industries in the major industrial estates still depend on diesel-run captive plants to operate their industries for a lack of reliable energy. Thus, the NEA needs to invest heavily in building more transmission lines in the major industrial areas. The problem of frequent power cuts and low voltage must be addressed so that consumers can rely on electricity generated by hydel projects.

Poultry import

There are a few sectors in which Nepal is self-sufficient, and poultry is one of them. However, it is under threat from smuggling of cheap poultry through the porous border with India. It has come to light that sick birds are smuggled across the border at night and slaughtered the following day to be sold as fresh meat. This not only puts the local poultry industry in peril but is also a threat to the health of the people. Nepali industrialists have invested over a billion dollars in the poultry business, which employs half a million people, and it is only right that the government should protect it just as our neighbour does its.

Following much hue and cry by the poultry farmers, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday directed the district administration and security agencies working in the districts bordering India to take action against those involved in smuggling the chickens to Nepal. Strict surveillance of the border points and monitoring of the slaughterhouses and shops would put a stop to the flow of poultry to Nepal immediately. To promote the poultry industry, the government should also help in keeping the prices of feed and other inputs low.