The construction of the 132 kV capacity Dandakhet-Rahughat transmission line project, currently being built by the Nepal Electricity Authority in Myagdi, has achieved 50 percent physical progress within the expected completion timeframe.

After the work was not completed within the stipulated 30 months, the contract period with the Indian company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been extended by 15 months.

A contract agreement worth 26 million dollars was signed on December 31, 2021, for the construction of the 25-kilometer 132 kV capacity transmission line connecting Ambang of Rahughat in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-3 to Dandakhet of Malika Rural Municipality-7, along with substations at both locations.

Project Chief Roshan Agarwal informed that the contract period, which expired on July 16, has been extended until November 16, 2025. ‘Overall, more than 50 percent physical progress has been made in 30 months,’ he said. ‘The project construction period has been extended due to weak geological conditions and disaster risks in Rahughat, delays in obtaining permits for tower construction in forest areas, and community disputes at some tower construction sites.’

The construction of the substation and transmission line is being undertaken with a loan from the Asian Development Bank to connect the electricity generated from the projects under construction in the Myagdi and Rahughat rivers to the national grid. Sixty percent of the civil works for the Dandakhet substation, which will have a capacity of 132/33 kV, 30 MVA, and AIS technology equipment, has been physically completed.

Fifty-one ropanis of land were acquired in Dandakhet. Due to design issues with the substation in Rahughat, which is affected by underground water and landslides, the Nepali subcontractor DL Structure began work in May, 27 months after the contract agreement.

Subash Chandra Sharma, the project manager at NLT, stated that despite the monsoon season, work has been accelerated at the Rahughat substation, which will have GIS technology and equipment with a capacity of 220/132/33 kV and 200 MVA. This includes preparing the land plots for installing the equipment and constructing the office building.

Construction of the substation has begun by creating permanent drains to manage both underground and surface water,” he said. “The equipment for installation at the substation has already been imported.” In Ambang, 90 ropanis of land were acquired five years ago for the construction of the substation.

Out of 82 towers for the 132 kV capacity double circuit transmission line, 30 have been completed so far, and 48 are under construction, according to Project Chief Agarwal. The tower construction sites for the transmission line are located in Ward No. 3 of Raghuganga Rural Municipality, Wards 9 and 10 of Beni Municipality, Ward No. 1 of Mangala Rural Municipality, and Wards 6 and 7 of Malika Rural Municipality.

On August 24, a flood damaged the NLT’s transmission line material storage site located in Kothesaghu of Beni Municipality-6. Land management, fencing, access roads, as well as the construction of a guard and staff quarters building in Dandakhet, had already been completed at both sites.

Four hydropower projects with a total capacity of 172.8 megawatts have begun construction on the Myagdi River. These include the 35.5 megawatt Rahughat-Mangale, the 48.5 megawatt Upper Rahughat, the 21.3 megawatt Thulo Khola, and the 40 megawatt Rahughat hydropower projects.

The 5.5 megawatt Bagarkhola, 4.75 megawatt Syankhola, 4.90 megawatt Upper Thulo Khola, and 15 megawatt Upper Thulo Khola hydropower projects are in the final stages of construction.

Prakash Timilsina, the chief of the Upper Rahughat and Mangale Rahughat hydropower projects under construction by Tudi Power, stated that delays in the construction of the substation have caused issues for the hydropower project in the final stages of construction on the Rahughat River.

Source: Online Khabar