Myagdi. Myagdi: The construction of the Dandakhet-Rahughat transmission line project has been delayed as the Division Forest Office, Myagdi, has not issued an order to cut trees. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has made 80 per cent physical progress so far on the Dandakhet-Rahughat transmission line project.

The contract was signed to complete the project by November 16, 2025. A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on February 20, 2080 BS had approved the use of 25.62 hectares of community and national forest land for the transmission line. There are 3,936 trees at the project site.

Project chief Roshan Agrawal said that the first installment has also been provided for the purchase of 504 ropanis of land and growing the saplings.

“On behalf of the project, we had purchased the land a year ago. We had also given the budget for the first installment of the saplings five months ago,” he said, adding, “The deadline of the project has to be extended due to the delay in issuing the cutting order by the forest, geographical problems and the need to do more work at Rahughat substation.” ’

According to Agrawal, the contractor has submitted a new timetable to complete the project by April 2026. “On December 31, 2021, a contract was signed with Larsen & Toubro Limited for the construction of a 132 KV transmission line connecting Dandakhet of Malika rural municipality-7 to Amwang of Raghuganga rural municipality-3 rahughat and substation at both places at a cost of Rs 3.57 billion. The deadline for the first time ended on July 16,” he said.

Chief Agrawal informed that the foundation of 59 towers has been laid so far under the 132 KV double circuit transmission line, out of which work of 45 towers has been completed. The contractor has started work on all the towers except four trees to be cut. 85 percent of the equipment of transmission line and substation has been imported.

Project Chief Agrawal said that 133/33 KV, 30 MVA capacity and equipment of AIS technology have been installed in dandakhet substation constructed on an area of 51 ropanis. According to him, work has been started to install equipment and construct office building at Rahughat substation of GIS technology to install equipment of 220/132/33 KV and 200 MVA capacity.

Six years ago, 90 ropanis of land was acquired to build a substation in Amwang. According to him, a substation is being constructed at Dandakhet with the objective of connecting the electricity generated from the under-construction hydropower projects in Rahughat, Myagdi river and tributaries to the central line.

Bishnu Adhikari, chief of the Division Forest Office in the district, said that due to lack of human resources, there has been a delay in preparing the field study, preparation of report and decision on the cutting order. “We had to be busy with the regular work of the office till Mid-June and the work of preparing the report under the leadership of three forest officers of five sub-divisions has reached the final stage,” he said. ’

Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Kham Bahadur Garbuja, said the Division Forest Office has been urged to issue an order to cut trees for the transmission line as soon as possible. Gandaki State Assembly member Resham Bahadur Jugjali had raised the issue in the state assembly meeting that the forest division should be aware of the delay in the construction of hydropower projects, substations and transmission lines.

According to project chief Agrawal, rs 1.05 billion has been invested by the Electricity Authority and Rs 3.82 billion by the Asian Development Bank for the construction of the project.

Raghuganga Rural Municipality-3, Beni Municipality-9 and 10, Mangala Rural Municipality-1, Malika-6 and 7 are the construction sites of transmission line. Administrative Officer of the project Matrika Timalsina said that rs 15 million compensation has been distributed to the private land owners and land has been purchased for Rs 45 million for using the forest area.

Myagdi: Construction of four hydropower projects with a capacity of 172.8 MW has begun on myagdi river. The 35.5 MW Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangale hydropower project and the 21.3 MW Bigkhola hydropower project have started test production.

According to Agrawal, the construction of 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat, 40 MW Rahughat and 23.5 MW Upper Borokhola hydropower projects have reached the final stage.

According to him, the Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangale hydropower project built by Tudi Power and the 220 kV Kaligandaki transmission line have started supplying electricity after the construction of temporary towers.