KATHMANDU: The Kohalpur–Surkhet section of the 132 kV Kohalpur–Surkhet–Dailekh transmission line project has come into operation.
Following the commissioning of the project, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya said the Authority has successfully energized a 132 kV transmission line in Karnali Province for the first time. He said the project has created conditions for consumers in Karnali Province, particularly in Surkhet, to access reliable and quality electricity.
Shakya expressed confidence that the operation of the transmission line will pave the way for large-scale industries in Karnali, adding that electricity consumption is expected to increase significantly in the industrial sector. He also noted that the long-standing problems of overloading, frequent power cuts and low voltage, caused by reliance on the 33 kV transmission system, are expected to improve substantially with the new line.
According to the NEA, the transmission line will also play an important role in feeding electricity generated in the region into the national transmission grid.
Recalling his long association with Karnali, Shakya said his commitment to the project dates back to 2067 BS, when he first visited the region, and that he had travelled to Karnali dozens of times during the project’s implementation. He said he was particularly excited to see the 132 kV transmission line come into operation for the first time for the people of Karnali.
Shakya also instructed officials to make necessary preparations for setting up an electric vehicle charging station on NEA-acquired land near the tower along the main highway close to the Surkhet automated substation, to facilitate the use of electric vehicles in the area.
He further said that once all feeders in Surkhet are supplied from the same substation, the project will be formally inaugurated at an appropriate time after the elections.
Project Chief Ravi Kumar Chaudhary said the nearly 52-kilometre-long Kohalpur–Surkhet section was completed within the stipulated timeline following clear instructions from the NEA Managing Director. He said bringing the transmission line into operation was a matter of pride for the project team.
Chaudhary added that the project was completed by resolving challenges related to land acquisition, forest clearance and disputes with local landowners, and credited the collective efforts of the NEA, project staff and local communities for the project’s success.
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