KATHMANDU: A clash unfolded between armed police and local residents at the Lapsiphedi Substation in Shankharapur Municipality-3 of Kathmandu.
The police said that the locals initiated an attack on the armed police team dispatched to provide security for the construction of the substation on Friday afternoon.
During the confrontation, two armed policemen sustained injuries as locals hurled stones, leading to the subsequent detention of four individuals by the police.
The Nepal Electricity Authority has greenlit the commencement of the Substation construction in Lapsiphedi.
However, completion has been hindered multiple times due to disputes arising from local opposition.
In response to the construction stalemate, a decision was made to establish a temporary base for armed police.
Following this decision, locals reportedly pelted stones when the team, led by DSP of Armed Police, arrived on Friday, triggering the clash.
SP Kumodh Dhungel, the spokesman for the Kathmandu area, noted that the exact number of injuries from the clash was not available.
The construction of the substation aims to facilitate the transportation of electricity from Tamakoshi to Kathmandu, connecting the MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) transmission line.
The MCC’s planned transmission line is expected to extend to the Nepal-India border via Ratmate in Nuwakot, with an additional line to Hetaunda.
As per the project plan, towers have been installed in Kavre district, but progress in bringing them from Kavre to Kathmandu has been impeded by local obstacles.
Five towers remain to be built on the path to Kathmandu.
Although compensation was distributed to locals in 2074 BS, it has been halted after residents demanded the construction of the cremation station at an alternative location.
Facing repeated challenges in reaching a consensus, the government has resolved to continue construction with the assistance of security personnel.
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