CHITWAN: Underground electrification work in Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been temporarily halted for three months, following a directive from the Roads Department not to allow road excavation during the rainy season.
The project is being implemented by the Pokhara-Bharatpur Distribution System Strengthening Project under the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
According to Ananda Subedi, Chief Engineer of the project, excavation and related activities such as trench digging and pipe laying have been paused from June 19 until mid-August.
“Core tasks like trenching and pipe installation have been suspended. However, we are continuing with connecting cables and burying poles in areas where pipe laying has already been completed,” Subedi explained.
The Roads Department issued the restriction due to concerns that trenching during the monsoon could damage roads and lead to flooding, as rainwater may seep into the excavated sections.
So far, around 75 percent of the underground electrification work in Bharatpur has been completed. Work has been finished along the Pulchowk to Central Bus Terminal section of the East-West Highway.
On the bypass road, underground work has been completed on one side of the Aanpatari to Central Bus Terminal stretch, while work on the opposite side is still pending. “The foundation work is done, but installation of the main line is ongoing in several locations,” Subedi added.
Installation of 33 kV lines has been completed, while the laying of 11 kV and 400-volt cables is still underway.
Subedi noted that progress will accelerate after the rainy season ends, as monsoon conditions make trenching and installation work more difficult. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 1.4 billion, with an initial allocation of Rs 1.3 billion for Bharatpur.
The construction contract has been awarded to Tata Project Limited of India. Originally set to be completed by January 20, 2024, the project timeline has been extended by an additional eight months. The NEA is implementing the project with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
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