KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation held a coordination meeting on Tuesday to address bottlenecks affecting energy and hydropower projects.
The meeting was attended by Forest Minister Madhav Prasad Chaulagain and Energy Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, along with secretaries, department heads, division chiefs and other senior officials from both ministries.
Discussions focused on issues related to land use rights within forest areas for energy and hydropower projects, approval processes and procedural complexities that have delayed several projects.
Participants deliberated particularly on facilitating projects stalled due to delays in forest land use permits, environmental clearances and lack of inter-agency coordination.
Representatives from the Nepal Electricity Authority and the Department of Electricity Development also attended the meeting. They shared their views on legal, administrative and technical challenges encountered during project implementation.
During the discussion, both sides agreed to strengthen coordination to remove obstacles in hydropower and energy projects while maintaining a necessary balance between environmental protection and energy development.
The meeting concluded that related procedures should be made more streamlined and effective, prioritizing environment-friendly development.
Both ministries expressed commitment to enhancing cooperation through regular coordination mechanisms to resolve pending project issues and advance sustainable energy development, environmental conservation and national development goals.
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