KATHMANDU: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has made alternative arrangements to provide electricity for the construction of the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track in the Bhimphedi Rural Municipality-8, Mandu Maltabensi, and Indrasarobar Rural Municipality-3, Sisneri Kogate areas of Makawanpur.
The NEA said the construction of key infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and gallery tunnels in these areas requires approximately 12 megawatts of electricity.
Managing Director Kulman Ghising said the fast track, a project of national pride, should not face delays due to power shortages.
To address the power deficit, the NEA plans to repurpose the existing 66 kV transmission line from Kulekhani First Hydropower Station Dhorsing to Mandu into an 11 kV line. Additionally, a 22.5 MVA transformer from Jageda, Kathmandu, will be installed at Dhorsing Substation to meet the immediate power needs of the Fast Track.
The current 5 MVA transformer at Dhorsing Substation, which is operating at full capacity, will also be supplemented with a larger-capacity transformer.
The floods and landslides in early October caused severe damage to the Bagmati Khola Small Hydropower Project, halting its 22 MW electricity generation.
The floods destroyed the switchyard, power transformers, and other equipment, disrupting power supply to the Fast Track. Similarly, the 2 MW Khanikhola Hydropower Project in Lalitpur was also damaged, leaving Malta Substation without a power source.
Efforts are underway to reconstruct both projects, which are expected to be operational by April. Until then, the NEA is prioritizing alternative power arrangements to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to the Fast Track.
On Monday, a high-level NEA team, including Ghising and Deputy Managing Director Manoj Silwal, inspected the affected areas, including the Bagmati Khola Small Hydropower Project and Dhorsing Substation. The team explored immediate solutions to the power crisis and instructed local distribution centers to expedite restoration work.
“The national pride project must proceed without disruptions. We will ensure electricity supply through alternative arrangements until the damaged hydropower projects resume operations,” Ghising said.
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