Biratnagar, December 17

The government has completed the environment impact assessment of the proposed electricity-powered railway in Province 1.

The assessment of the Inaruwa-Kakadbhitta (106.59km) and Biratnagar-Itahari railways (20.16km) under the East-West Railways was carried out by Nepal Railway Department. The estimated cost of the railways stands somewhere at 90.0282 billion rupees.

As per the study, developing the railways would entail acquisition of some 635.77 hectare land. Of the total land thus needed, 512 hectare is arable land, while 19.60 hectare is forest land. Another 33 hectare is land occupied by human settlements.

Around 4,000 families will be affected by construction of the railways.

According to Rikesh Chitrakar, an expert involved in the EIA-related work of the railways, the Kakadbhitta-Inaruwa railway will start from Kakadbhitta and end at Janata Chowk of Inaruwa bazaar and run parallel to the East-West highway from 2km south. While there will be 10 stations between Inaruwa and Kakadbhitta, one such station will be built between Biratnagar and Itahari.

At present, construction of the railways from Bathanah to Katahari is under way with Indian assistance. The link railway to be constructed by Nepal will take over from Katahari and link the line to Itahari station through Hattimuda. The proposed railway touches three local bodies of Jhapa, nine of Morang and three of Sunsari.