Nepal Approves Land for GIS Substation in Lalitpur

KATHMANDU. The process of land acquisition for the construction of a GIS substation in Balkumari, Lalitpur, has been completed.

The process was finalized after the Council of Ministers meeting last Monday approved the use of four ropanis of land owned by the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) for the Nepal Electricity Authority.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation had initiated efforts to construct the substation, which had been stalled for a long time. The high-capacity GIS substation was being developed in the area to strengthen, make reliable, and ensure the sustainability of the electricity distribution system in the Kathmandu Valley. However, the project had been halted for over four years due to the unavailability of land.

The substation will be constructed at a cost of two billion rupees with loan investment from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The underground electricity transmission line coming from Thimi, Bhaktapur, will be connected to the GIS substation in Balkumari. Subsequently, the authority plans to connect it to the Teku substation.

Upon completion of this substation, it will be easier to meet the electricity demand for the next five years. An agreement has been reached where the Electricity Authority will provide electricity free of charge to the sewage treatment center that KUKL will establish in Balkumari, and in return, the authority will use three ropanis, thirteen annas, and two paisa of land for 25 years. With the land acquisition process complete, tenders will be invited for the construction of the substation.

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