Work on Surkhet-Dailekh 132 KV transmission line
Hemanta KC, Nepal News Bank
Surkhet. The Surkhet-Dailekh 132 KV transmission line, which is supposed to provide quality electricity to Karnali Province, is embroiled in legal hassles related to forest. This section of the Kohalpur-Surkhet-Dailekh project was signed in 2080 and was supposed to be completed by 2082. But 70 percent of the physical progress is stuck due to the confusion of tree felling and land ownership. Even after extending the deadline, 30 percent of the work is still pending.
The total cost of the project is Rs 800 crore, starting from Subbakuna substation in Birendranagar, Surkhet and ending at Chupra in Dailekh. Sigma Kathmandu has taken the responsibility for the construction. In this 32-kilometer-long section, 101 angle towers need to be constructed. But only 41 have been constructed so far. The foundations of 40 towers have been prepared, while the foundation of 20 towers has not been dug due to legal confusion.
The main reason for the sluggishness of the project is not the geographical remoteness or the negligence of the contractors, but the legal and administrative hurdles within the government mechanism.
19,000 trees waiting for the decision of the cabinet
There is a legal provision that the approval of the cabinet is mandatory for the felling of trees in the transmission line construction area. But the work of 20 towers has not started due to lack of formal decision for a long time.
According to the project, more than 19
,000 trees, both small and big, will have to be cut down. Project chief Rabi Kumar Chaudhary said that the file has been submitted to the ministry for approval after completing all the administrative processes under the Ministry of Environmental Impact Assessment, Measurement and Forest. “The construction will pick up pace as soon as we get permission from the cabinet,” he said. Although the construction of the tower was halted due to tree felling, 60 percent of the work of the 132 KV substation under construction at Dungeshwor Rural Municipality-1 in Dailekh district has been completed.
Kohalpur-Surkhet repetition
This problem is not new. The Kohalpur-Surkhet 132 KV section, which was signed on July 7, 2019 between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and the Indian company RS Infra Project, was supposed to be completed in two years. The project was delayed by four and a half years and came into operation only on February 1, 2002 after the Banke and Bardiya National Parks delayed granting permission for the felling of land and trees for 161 towers.
The common people are paying the price for this delay. The first 33 KVA transmission line was extended in Surkhet in 1998, i. e. about 38 years ago. Due to such old infrastructure, the citizens of many districts, including the provincial capital, are forced to face low voltage and unannounced load shedding.
Backbone of Energy Security
The Surkhet-Dailekh Transmission Line is not only a project related to the electrification of one district, it is also the backbone of the energy security of the entire Karnali Province. According to the government’s long-term plan, the goal is to extend this line to Jumla via Kalikot. However, the government has not yet forwarded any concrete policy and budget plan for the second phase of the Kalikot-Jumla transmission route.
According to the detailed study report, this section will be a total length of 82.14 km. It is proposed to be built as a 132 kV transmission line with double circuits. Only 279 towers will have to be built in this section. According to the Department of Electricity Development, a total of 150.33 hectares of land is required for this section. Out of this, about 12.4 hectares will have to be acquired for the permanent structure of the tower and 132.69 hectares of land will be used for the project under the right of way. According to the Electricity Regulations, 2050, the jurisdiction of the transmission line is set at a minimum of 18 meters, nine meters each to the right and left from the midpoint.
Investors are also hesitant
Local people have not been able to enjoy regular and quality electricity due to the lack of 132 KV transmission line. The future of dozens of hydropower projects under construction and awaiting construction in various rivers and streams of Karnali is also uncertain. Even the independent power producers of the private sector are reluctant to invest heavily in Karnali due to the fear that the generated electricity will not be connected to the national grid.
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