KATHMANDU:- The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is set to construct a 132-kV underground transmission line in the central Kathmandu in a bid to ensure smooth and reliable electricity distribution within the Ring Road area in Kathmandu district.
According to the proposal, the underground transmission line, stretching approximately 11.92 km in length, will connect Balaju Substation to Singha Durbar via Maharajgunj, the Narayanhiti Palace Museum area and Ratna Park.
The project seeks to support increasing electricity demand while reducing visual pollution caused by overhead power lines thereby enhancing the city’s urban landscape.
The transmission system will feature a double-circuit underground line capable of transmitting up to 350 megawatts of electricity. The proposal outlines that the project would be completed within three years.
The NEA has also rolled out a plan to build several substations along the transmission corridor, including a 132/11 kV substation in Maharajgunj, a 132/11 kV substation in the Narayanhiti Palace Museum and a 132/66/11 kV substation in Singha Durbar.
The NEA has already built an underground transmission line in Ratna Park area and Maharajgunj area while such transmission lines are under construction in various parts of Kathmandu and Lalitpur district.
An application has already been submitted to the Department of Electricity Development seeking approval for the construction of transmission line and the substations, the proposal informed.
Meanwhile, similar underground transmission line projects in Pokhara and Bharatpur are in the final phase of completion.
However, delays in completing such projects within the stipulated time have prevented authorities from fully achieving their goals of improving urban aesthetics and ensuring efficient electricity supply.