April 28: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has recently connected Dolpa in Karnali province to the National Electricity Transmission System (Grid), which will improve the power supply in the area. 

An 11 kV transmission line has been constructed from Musikot substation in Musikot Municipality of Rukum West to Dolpa Headquarters Dunai via Gotamkot in Athabiscote Municipality of the same district. 

The transmission line will provide power to areas such as headquarters Dunai, which previously relied on small hydropower projects.

Along with Dolpa, 8 out of 10 districts of Karnali province are now connected to the National Grid. The electrification of Humla and Mugu is still in progress, with a transmission line being built in Mugu to connect to the grid by next June. 

The Nepal Electricity Authority’s executive director, Kulman Ghising, stated that work is being prioritized for the electrification of districts in Karnali province.

The Authority is providing electricity to the areas of the district headquarters Dunai and Tripurasundari Municipality under Thulievri Municipality of Dolpa through Jairigarh Small Hydro Electric House of 200 KW installed capacity. 
The authority has around 1,700 customers in Dolpa, and other areas of Dolpa are being supplied with electricity by small hydro and solar power.

To improve the power supply further, a 33 KV transmission line is under construction from Kudu substation in Bheri Municipality of Jajarkot to Tripurakot, the administrative center of Tripurasundari Municipality at Dolpa passing through Chowkabazar in Nalgarh Municipality of the same district. 

The head of the NEA’s Karnali provincial office, Shambhu Kusiyat Yadav, confirmed that a new contract has been signed after the previous contractor was terminated due to non-performance.

The line will be supported by 33/11 KV sub-stations to be constructed at Chaukha and Tripurakot. The construction is expected to be completed in one and a half years. The aim of this project is to ensure adequate, reliable, and high-quality power supply in Dolpa.

The electrification of Lumbini, Karnali, and hilly districts of Sudurpaschim province is being funded by a concessional loan of about US$220 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the European Investment Bank.