KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 6
The obstruction in the construction of 132 kV substation in Kirtipur Municipality Ward-6, Chobhar has been cleared after the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) agreed to address the demands of the locals.
A joint meeting held today comprising NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghising, Kirtipur Municipality Mayor Rajkumar Nakarmi, Ward Chairperson Khirman Singh Basnet and other representatives of local residents decided to end the obstruction.
As per the understanding among the stakeholders, NEA will lay the distribution lines underground as the section of about two kilometres starting from the entrance of dry port in Chobhar is not safe.
Considering the urgency of electricity supply, the concerned ward will provide the necessary support, as per NEA.
Addressing the meeting, Mayor Nakarmi said his municipality is always ready to lend necessary support in development activities.
"It was a daunting task to remove the obstacles in the construction of the substation. However, we've succeeded in doing it," he said. "The construction of the substation should be carried forward immediately and completed within the specified time."
Likewise MD of NEA Ghising informed that the construction will start soon as the contract for the construction of the substation has already been awarded.
"Chobhar substation is very important to meet the demand of electricity in Kathmandu valley and its surrounding areas for smooth and reliable power supply," he said.
"In the absence of such substations, the valley would have to face rolling backouts in a few years despite availability of sufficient electricity, ," he added.
Local residents of Lalitpur's Khokna, Bungamati, Harsiddhi and Lamatar areas have been obstructing the construction of Thankot-Chapagaon-Bhaktapur 132 kV transmission line, which is considered important for improving the electricity supply in Kathmandu valley. In this situation, the authority has proceeded with the construction of a substation in Chobhar as an alternative.
After the construction process of 132 kV substation was initiated on 12 ropanis of land in Bhootkhel, the local residents were protesting saying that the place was being used as a playground.
The Cabinet meeting on January 31 had decided to provide the land owned by Himal Cement to the authority on rent for construction of the substation.
Chobhar substation is going to be constructed with the concessional loan received through the Kathmandu Valley Transmission Capacity Strengthening Project of the Asian Development Bank. There will be two power transformers of 45 MVA capacity in the substation.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 7, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
