A tower is becoming like a project in the construction of a transmission line in Nepal. In such a case, it may be necessary to work hard to conclude the work of the US aid agreement MCC to be completed within five years.
A total of 312 km long transmission line will have a capacity of 400 kV. For this, 856 towers will be constructed. The transmission line runs through 30 municipalities and 92 wards in 10 districts. Working with the residents of all these localities in confidence can be another challenge.
The transmission line will create infrastructure connecting Nepal to India. The infrastructure will help in the construction of an inter-country transmission line from Butwal to Gorakhpur, India with joint investment of Nepal and India. The Nepal-India Energy Secretary-level meeting held on March 26 and 27 has agreed to set up a joint venture company for the construction of an inter-country transmission line by next April.
A total of 20 kilometers of the transmission line will be constructed towards Nepal and 120 kilometers towards India. A substation of 400 KV capacity will also be constructed at the place where New Butwal is currently the substation of the Nepal Electricity Authority. According to the master plan of the transmission grid company, the plan to build a hub station in Butwal has been put forward long ago.
Khadga Bahadur Bista, Executive Director of MCA Nepal, informed that three new 400 KV capacity 'Indoor Gas Insulated Sub-stations' will be constructed under the 312 km long double circuit transmission line to be constructed with the help of MCC.
Ratmate sub-station will be constructed in
The transmission line connected to MCC will be connected to Lapsiphedi in Kathmandu and Hetauda sub-station in Makwanpur district.
These transmission lines will play an important role in providing easy access to electricity in Kathmandu Valley, Hetauda, Narayangarh, Butwal Dang and Pokhara.
A double circuit transmission line with a total capacity of 400 kV can import and export about three thousand megawatts of electricity. It is possible to increase the consumption of electricity in urban areas and also to reduce the consumption of imported petroleum products by spending US dollars.
According to Bista, executive director of MCA Nepal,
Nepal Authority is currently constructing Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa transmission.
The transmission line from Ratmate is connected to the same transmission line. NEA understands that this will help in importing electricity easily.
Similarly, a total of 80 km long transmission line from Damauli goes south and connects to the new Butwal substation in Nawalparasi. An additional 20 km long 400 KV transmission line should be constructed to reach the Nepal-India border area from that substation.
The transmission line passes through Kathmandu, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Dhading, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Tanahu, Palpa, Nawalpur and Parasi districts. Work including environmental impact assessment of the affected areas of the district where the transmission line will be constructed has been completed. Now it is time to get approval for land acquisition and use of forest land.
According to Executive Director Bista, land acquisition is the biggest, most difficult and longest task. He said: Based on that, it takes more time to work. Other work is done parallelly. Land acquisition should be done in some places. We have to work according to Nepal's Land Acquisition Act, 2034. ”
As per the agreement, Nepal will receive about US 500 million$ (approximately Rs. 60 billion) grant assistance from the US government within the next five years after the project moves forward. Of the 500 million received from MCC, 400 million will be spent on power transmission line construction.
MCC's 52 million will be used to upgrade the road from East-West Highway to Shivakhola via Chandrauta, Dhankhola, Bhaluwang and Lamahi. Similarly, about 100 kilometers of road will be spent on maintenance.
In the area where the transmission line will be constructed, about 217,000 trees will have to be cut down. The study of MCA Nepal has shown that there are more butyan than trees in it.
According to the general calculations made by MCA Nepal, the compensation will cost around Rs. 8 billion. Out of that, Rs 1.5 billion has already been distributed in Ratmate of Nuwakot. The substation is built there. As the transmission line goes through the hills and mountains, it does not seem to cost much.
Since the most complex task of Nepal's physical infrastructure project is land acquisition and compensation distribution, the government's readiness to complete it on time is equally necessary. Similarly, it is important to make forest land use and community forest work equally effective. The Hetauda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa transmission line being constructed by NEA is in a critical condition. The donor body World Bank is also complaining as the locals have created many problems in the project.
In such a situation, effective role of government bodies, project affected and other concerned bodies seems necessary to complete the transmission line to be constructed with MCC assistance grant on time.
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