Surkhet, June 16: The 132 kV Kohalpur–Surkhet transmission line has resumed operation following the completion of reconstruction work, restoring reliable electricity supply to Karnali Province after more than a month of disruption.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the restoration of the transmission line is expected to resolve the longstanding low-voltage problem in Karnali and significantly improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply across the province.
Power transmission through the line had been completely halted after Towers 44 and 45 were severely damaged by a powerful windstorm on the night of May 6 in the Shree Krishna Buffer Zone Community Forest within Bardiya National Park, at Chisapani in Baijanath Rural Municipality-1, Banke.
The storm uprooted a tree approximately 30 metres tall, located outside the transmission line’s right-of-way, causing it to collapse onto the transmission infrastructure and damage both towers and conductors.
Following the completion of repair and reconstruction work, the transmission line resumed operation on Sunday afternoon, the NEA said. During the outage, electricity supply to Surkhet and several districts of Karnali Province had been maintained through the 33 kV Kohalpur–Surkhet transmission line, though consumers experienced low voltage and reduced system reliability.
With the restoration of the high-voltage line, the NEA said districts including Surkhet, Dailekh, Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu and West Rukum will now receive a more stable and higher-quality electricity supply through the national grid, with improved voltage and enhanced system reliability.
The authority also noted that electricity generated from hydropower projects in the Karnali region can now be transmitted more efficiently into the national grid, benefiting not only Karnali Province but also Banke and Bardiya districts through improved power quality and grid stability. #nepal
