Banking News – A 132 kV transmission line will be constructed to connect electricity generated by the Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project, one of Nepal’s national pride projects, to the country’s national transmission system.

The electricity generated by the project will be integrated into the Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line, which has been developed by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). To facilitate the connection, a 1.7-kilometer, 132 kV transmission line will be built.

The Bheri-Babai Diversion Project aims to divert water from the Bheri River into the Babai River, providing year-round irrigation while generating approximately 46.8 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The proposed transmission line will include nine transmission towers, with three located inside the core area of Bardiya National Park and the remaining six within the park’s buffer zone. The transmission corridor will have a right-of-way of 18 meters, affecting Bheriganga Municipality-5 in Surkhet as well as parts of Bardiya National Park.

As part of the project, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is being prepared, and the project authorities have invited stakeholders and the public to provide suggestions and feedback.

Project Progress Reaches 70%

The Bheri-Babai Diversion Project is designed to channel water through a 12-kilometer tunnel from the Bheri River to the Babai River, providing year-round irrigation to nearly 51,000 hectares of farmland in Banke and Bardiya districts.

According to Hari Bahadur Thapa, Information Officer for the project, the project has achieved 70% physical progress and 57% financial progress. He said approximately three more years will be required to complete the remaining works.

Following slower-than-expected progress, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha recently inspected the project site and directed officials to accelerate construction activities.

The tunnel excavation has already been completed, while civil construction, hydromechanical, and electromechanical works are currently underway. The environmental approval process for the transmission line construction has also begun.