KATHMANDU: The Council of Ministers of the Government of India has given the green light to a proposal to acquire 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal over the course of a decade.

Dr. Shankar Sharma, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, conveyed the news following the recent meeting of the Indian Council of Ministers, where the proposal received unanimous approval.

Ambassador Sharma stated, “With the decision of the Indian Council of Ministers, the groundwork for importing electricity from Nepal will now enter a phase of further examination and preparation.”

He went on to emphasize that the decision by the Indian Council of Ministers paves the way for comprehensive studies on electricity generation initiatives in Nepal and the planning and execution of related projects.

Presently, Nepal exports electricity to the Indian market during the dry season and imports electricity from India during the winter months.

The commitment to acquire 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal in a span of ten years was initially made during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last May, when Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ visited India.

In a historic meeting, both Prime Ministers presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of the Phukot Karnali and Lower Arun Hydropower projects.

Additionally, they inaugurated the Gorakhpur-Bhairahawa 400 KV transmission line, reaffirming the commitment to bolster energy cooperation between the two neighboring nations.