Initiatives Underway to Restore Smooth Electricity Supply in Karnali Province

Kathmandu: The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has begun efforts to restore smooth electricity supply in Karnali Province after power transmission was disrupted due to the collapse of two 132 kV transmission towers in the Chisapani area of Banke under the Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line project.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has directed the concerned authorities to investigate the incident and immediately carry out repairs to bring the transmission line back into operation.

According to the minister’s secretariat, coordination is underway with relevant offices to reconstruct the damaged towers and resume electricity transmission as soon as possible. The ministry stated that the two towers were completely destroyed after trees fell on them during strong winds and storms.

The ministry further informed that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has formed an investigation committee under the coordination of Grid Operation Chief Raman Raj Sharma to examine the incident.

According to the NEA, the responsibility for constructing the damaged towers had been assigned to RS Infra Company. Initial assessments indicate that the tower foundations themselves need to be rebuilt, and it is estimated that repair and restoration work may take approximately three weeks.

Following the disruption of the 132 kV transmission line, electricity supply in Karnali Province has been partially restored through an alternative old 33 kV transmission line. However, due to the limited capacity of the backup line, electricity services in the province remain affected.

The Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line is a major infrastructure project developed with the objective of providing a long-term solution to Karnali Province’s electricity supply problems.