MYAGDI: Construction of towers for the 220-KV Dana-Khurkot transmission line has been stalled.
The project-affected locals of Pokharebagar, Baisari and Ratopani at Annapurna rural municipality-6 have prevented the construction of the power transmission line towers. The transmission line is being constructed under the Kaligandaki corridor.
The construction of the hydroelectricity project itself has been delayed due to the stalling of the installation of the transmission line owing to the dispute between the project and the affected families since two years.
A situation has come that the power generated from the hydroelectricity project would be wasted due to the long delay in the construction of the transmission line.
The construction of six towers at Pokharebagar area has not started yet as agreement could not be reached on the locals’ demands. The demands include changing the design of the proposed tower and the transmission line without affecting the settlements and houses, making adjustments to the compensation and carrying out environmental conservation works.
The locals at Pokharebagar have complained that the project has also ignored their demand that it sought an alternative to constructing the transmission line through the settlement and the construction of towers in their backyard.
The locals at Pokharebagar have also not accepted the compensation provided by the project for their land acquired for the transmission line project after an agreement could not be reached. The locals have been saying that they would not allow the construction of the transmission line and the tower until their demands were met.
One hundred seven out of the 114 towers on the 39 kilometers stretch from Dana to Khurkot have been constructed. The transmission cables have also been installed at many sections of the stretch. However, not a single tower is constructed at Mallaj at Jaljala rural municipality due to the same dispute.
The total cost of the transmission line construction project is Rs 2.90 billion and Tata Projects and Chint Electric JV have been awarded the contract for the construction of the sub-station and the transmission line of the project.
The project was aimed to complete in November 2018 and the deadline could not be met due to the dispute and it has been extended by a year. It is said 90 percent of the construction of the project has been completed so far.
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