MYAGDI: Four hydropower projects nearing completion in the Myagdi-Rahughat basin have constructed transmission lines with technical faults, raising concerns about their ability to safely connect generated electricity to the national grid.
A major issue has emerged in the way the 220 kV transmission line built by the hydropower projects crosses under the existing 132 kV Dandakhet-Rahughat line.
According to standards, the higher-capacity (220 kV) line should be positioned above the lower-capacity (132 kV) line, maintaining a vertical clearance of at least 4.5 meters. However, this standard has not been met.
The problematic crossing lies in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-3, where the new north-south transmission line intersects the west-east Dandakhet-Rahughat line.
The hydropower developers reportedly failed to maintain proper coordination, resulting in substandard tower construction and cable alignment.
To connect the electricity produced by these hydropower projects along the Myagdi River and its tributaries, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) constructed a 25-kilometer-long 132 kV transmission line linking Dandakhet in Malika Rural Municipality-7 to Ambang in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-3, with substations at both ends.
The faulty crossing is located between towers labeled ‘AP2’ and ‘AP3’ on the Dandakhet-Rahughat line.
Due to delays in completing the Dandakhet-Rahughat transmission line, which began in 2021, four hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 130.8 MW have constructed an alternate route—from Piple to Tilkenichour—to connect with the 220 kV Dana-Khurkot line, bypassing the Ambang substation.
The four projects preparing for test production include the 37.5 MW Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangle, 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat, 21.3 MW Thulokhola, and 23.5 MW Upper Thulokhola.
According to Roshan Agrawal, head of the Dandakhet-Rahughat Transmission Line Project, the developers constructed the transmission line without adhering to technical standards or coordinating with relevant authorities.
“We’ve been requesting them to remove the line built under our infrastructure for the past nine months, but they’ve shown little concern,” Agrawal said.
“The issue stems from their failure to implement an agreement to build an additional tower and reroute the line above the 132 kV structure.”
Attempts to reach key representatives for comment were unsuccessful. Gopal Niure, representative of Thulokhola, and Indra Dhakal, promoter of Upper Rahughat and Chimkhola-Mangle-Rahughat, did not respond to phone calls.
However, Prakash Timilsina, resident engineer at Tudi Power, confirmed that preparations are underway to construct a taller tower to raise the 220 kV line above the 132 kV line as per the agreement.
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