The Kabeli Corridor Transmission Line Project has received forest clearance, allowing it to begin construction of the remaining 13 km of the 90.2-km power line which is touted as the backbone of the national grid in the eastern region. 

According to the project office, the provincial government has directed the forest office of Panchthar district to allow the project to cut down the trees that lie on the power line alignment. “We expect to receive approval from the district office within a few days,” said project chief Dipendra Raj Dwivedi. “We will start chopping down the trees immediately after we get the okay.” 

The construction of the 132 kV double circuit transmission line that extends across Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Tehrathum and Taplejung districts started a decade ago. It got bogged down by delays due to negligence of the contractor, obstruction by landowners, difficult terrain and belated permission for cutting trees.

Privately owned Hewa Khola Hydropower Project is losing out on Rs200 million in revenue annually as it can’t feed its entire production into the national grid due to the incomplete transmission line. The 15 MW plant located in Panchthar in eastern Nepal produces electricity worth Rs450 million annually, but its entire output cannot be transferred to the national grid over the existing 33 kV power line.