Jun 28, Kathmandu- Power, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet today laid the foundation stone of the transmission line at Sukkhad in Kailali. Karnali Corridor (Phukot-Betan-Dododhara) 400 KV transmission line project's tower construction has been laid.

The program was attended by the vice-chairman and member of the Sudurpaschim Province Provincial Policy and Planning Commission, the joint secretary of the ministry, the people's representative of Kailali, the head of the local body and the chief district officer. According to the Chief Executive Officer of National Transmission Grid Company, Netra Prasad Gyawali, about 3000 megawatts of electricity produced by projects such as Phukot-Karnali, Betan-Karnali, Tila 1 and 2 can be connected to the national transmission system.

The double circuit transmission line to be built by the government-owned company with the aim of meeting the country's electricity demand and exporting electricity is a national transformative project. It is believed that through the construction of this project, which is a "transmission highway'' of Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, other complementary infrastructures will be developed in Sudurpaschim and will help in the electricity development of the country as a whole. A total of 125 km long transmission line project will start from Kalikot Rengil in Karnali province and will connect to Dododhara substation in Kailali through Achham, Surkhet. From there it will be connected to Butwal in the east, Attaria and Daiji in the west and Bareilly in India through the international transmission line to the south.

It will have 256 towers. In this transmission line project, one of the longest rivers in South Asia, about 1,350 meters long, has to be crossed. Two towers about 120 meters high have to be built in it. According to project manager Biken Bajracharya, a contract was signed with the Indian company Kalpataru Project International Limited for the construction of the transmission line last year. The total cost of the project is equal to eight billion rupees. The project is set to be completed within the next three years. The initial environmental study, engineering and tower testing of the project have been completed. NEA Engineering Company, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority, has been appointed to supervise the construction of the project. Project manager Bajracharya informed that land acquisition is being done in Kalikot, Surkhet, Achham and Kailali for the construction of the tower.

Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet said that the project was started with the goal of collecting the electricity produced in the Karnali river basin and delivering it to domestic and foreign markets. Mentioning that Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province are the main facilitators of infrastructure development, he mentioned that this project, which is going to be built by the National Broadcasting Grid Company, has also recognized its income through wheeling charges (broadcasting charges). Energy Minister Basnet appreciated the modality prepared to be self-sufficient in the company's income. Informing that the construction of the Bheri and Seti Corridor 400 KV transmission line project is also going to be started in the near future, Minister Basnet said that the work will be carried forward as per the government's objective of minimizing environmental damage.