Bheri-Babai Diversion Hits 70% progress as Transmission Line Work Accelerates

KATHMANDU; Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has expedited installation of a 1.7 km stretch of 132 kV transmission line targeting to evacuate electricity to be generated by Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project after its completion.

According to the NEA, the electricity generated from the national pride project will be connected to the Kohalpur-Surkhet via the transmission line.

The project aims to provide irrigation facilities along with generating about 46.8 megawatts of electricity. The proposed transmission line will have nine towers. Out of these, three will be in the main area of ​​the Bardiya National Park and the remaining six will be in the buffer zone of the park.

The transmission line will affect Bheriganga Municipality-5 of Surkhet and Bardiya National Park, which lie within the periphery of an 18 meters area under the authorized section for the transmission line.

Meanwhile, the multipurpose project is reported to have achieved 70 percent progress in construction of its physical infrastructure almost three years after the expiry of the initial deadline to complete the work. With the extended deadline, the project is expected to complete its construction in the next three years.

According to information officer of the project Hari Bahadur Thapa, the physical progress of the project stands at 70 percent and the financial progress at 57 percent.

The construction of the project’s tunnel has been completed, while the civil construction work, hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical work are ongoing. The pre-approval process for the environmental impact assessment of the transmission line construction has already started.

During his field visit to the project site last week, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha instructed the concerned authority to expedite the construction process. 

The project aims to provide irrigation facilities to about 51,000 hectares of land in Banke and Bardiya district throughout the year. The project proposes diverting water of the Bheri River into the Babai River by constructing a 12-kilometer-long tunnel.

According to the contract agreement with Guangdong Yuwangteering-Raman JV, the construction of this structure was supposed to be completed by August 14, 2023. However, the construction delay has been attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 as well as dilly-dallying of the contractor company.