KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 06
A ceremony was held today in Hile, Dhankuta to mark the completion of construction of the 220 kV double circuit Koshi Corridor power transmission line (Inarwa-Basantapur-Baneshwar-Tumlingtar) and its handover to Nepal Electricity Authority.
The 106-km Koshi Corridor transmission line, costing a total of Rs 10.40 billion ($86.8 million) is being built under Indian government's line of credit of $550 million, extended by the EXIM Bank of India.
The package one of this project, worth Rs 4.5 billion ($37.3 million), was executed by India's Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd (KPTL) and handed over to Nepal Electricity Authority after successful completion and charging of the line. Once the remaining two packages are completed, the project will ensure smooth power evacuation from the generation projects coming up in the Arun and Tamor river basins, with power output totalling about 2000 MW.
The project was handed over by KPTL and EXIM Bank of India to Kul Man Ghising, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority in presence of Deputy Chief of Mission Namgya Khampa. Also present were administration representatives from Dhankuta and Hile, in addition to executives and personnel of KPTL and representatives from the local community.
In her remarks, DCM Khampa underscored India's commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation in power sector in all its dimensions, including development of power projects in Nepal, support for construction of transmission lines (both within Nepal and cross-border) and trade of electricity with India. She also congratulated KPTL for the quality and timely completion of the work and thanked the Nepal government, Nepal Electricity Authority and the local administration and representatives for their support in its completion.
In addition to Koshi Corridor, India is supporting the construction of two other domestic power transmission lines in Nepal: the Modi-Lekhnath line and the Solu Corridor line, both 132 kV. In addition, it continues to support construction of several cross-border transmission links between India and Nepal, between national as well as state grids. This is a key element of India's emphasis on enhancing cross-border economic connectivity as part of our larger 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 7, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
