KATHMANDU, MARCH 12
The construction of Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV double circuit transmission line, which is essential for strengthening Nepal's domestic power transmission system and facilitating electricity trade between Nepal and India, has been facing numerous hindrances in the past six years.
Therefore, a high-level team comprising of Kulman Ghising, managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, chief of the transmission directorate at the NEA, and Shyam Yadav, project head, met with Mina Kumari Lama, mayor of Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City, and ward chairs Sunil Moktan of Ward 15 and Ramkrishna Koiral of Ward 16 yesteray to discuss and find resolutions to the problems.
Ghising sought cooperation from them to complete the construction of the transmission line to ensure adequate electricity supply within the country and to facilitate electricity trade with India. He emphasised the importance of addressing the obstacles to the project and urged local residents to take necessary initiatives to remove them, to avoid any further difficulties for both the project and the community.
"If the transmission line is not built, 400 to 500 megawatts of electricity will go to waste daily this year. This will result in significant losses not only for the authorities but also for the country," he stated. "We are prepared to proceed with the construction of the transmission line and provide proper compensation to the affected parties. Let's work together to find a win-win solution for all."
Mayor Lama affirmed that the construction of the national priority project would proceed as planned, and that necessary measures would be taken to address the concerns of affected individuals. He stressed that the affected parties would be provided with adequate support to ensure that any issues arising from the construction are promptly resolved.
According to NEA, Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV transmission line project has been facing construction delays in the Jiajor area of Lalbandi Municipality in Sarlahi and Wards 15, 16, and 17 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City in Makwanpur.
The construction of 14 towers in the Hatia area, two towers in Thanabha Yang located in Hetauda sub-metropolitan Ward 11, and eight towers in the Jiajor area have been halted, NEA stated.
The construction of the transmission line, which began almost 10 years ago, has been delayed due to various reasons, including the local residents demanding a change in the route of the transmission line despite repeated efforts by the NEA, an interim order from the Supreme Court, procedural complications in forest area land use and deforestation approvals, and poor performance by the contractor, among others.
An agreement had been inked in February of 2013 to complete the construction within 30 months.
Due to delay in the construction of Hetaunda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa 400 kV transmission line, it was not possible to send electricity, primarily towards the west from the Dhalkebar substation in Dhanusha, due to insufficient line capacity.
Currently, there is only a 132 kV transmission line connecting Dhalkebar to the western region. Lack of sufficient transmission lines has resulted in the inability to supply adequate electricity to the Dhalkebar substation, and also hindered the export of surplus electricity generated within the country to India and import of electricity when needed.
As part of the project, the 220 KV substation currently under construction in Hetauda is scheduled to become operational by June of this year. Furthermore, the 400 kV substation under construction in Hetauda has reached its final stages of completion.
The government has launched the Nepal-India Electricity Transmission and Trade Project with an estimated cost of $17 million.
The project is being financed through investments from the NEA and a soft loan provided by the World Bank.
The World Bank is also involved in managing the project externally. The primary objective of this initiative is to enhance the transmission system within the country and facilitate seamless electricity trade between Nepal and India.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 13, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
