Dolpa district of Karnali Province is now connected to the national electricity transmission system.

Nepal Electricity Authority has supplied electricity to Dolpa with the completion of the construction of an 11 kV transmission line from Musikot Substation in Musikot Municipality of Rukum West through Gotamkot in Aathbiskot Municipality of the same district to Dolpa Headquarters Dunai.

The Authority completed the testing of the transmission line, brought it into operation from Thursday and started supplying electricity to the headquarter Dunai and other areas, according to the NEA.

Along with this, eight out of 10 districts of Karnali Province are now connected to the national grid. Now, only Humla and Mugu districts in the province are out of reach of grid electricity.

A transmission line is being constructed in Mugu to be connected to the national grid by mid-July 2023.

Managing Director of Kul Man Ghising said that work was being forwarded with high priority for the electrification of districts in Karnali Province.

“The national grid has reached Dolpa, it will reach Mugu by mid-July, the tender process for Humla has been completed and the construction contractor has been selected, now the work will start soon,” said Ghising.

“In the Dolpa’s headquarters and its surrounding areas, electricity is being supplied through the small hydropower project, now it will be through the national grid, and work is underway for electrification by expanding the electricity service throughout the district,” he said.

The Authority is supplying electricity to the areas of district headquarters Dunai under Thulibheri Municipality and Tripurasundari Municipality of Dolpa through Jairigaad Small Hydropower Plant of 200 KW installed capacity.

Around 1,700 customers of NEA are in Dolpa. In other areas of Dolpa, electricity is being supplied by small hydropower and solar plants.

The Authority is electrifying the hilly districts of Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces by taking concessional loans of about USD 220 million (about Rs. 28 billion) from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). MD Ghising said that the government investment and some portion of profit made by the NEA is being spent to expand the reach of electricity in this area.

To make electricity supply reliable and qualitative in Dolpa, a 33 kV transmission line is under construction from Kudu substation in Bheri Municipality of Jajarkot to Tripurakot of Tripurasundari Municipality of Dolpa passing through Nalgaad Municipality of Jajarkot.