The residents of the district headquarters began living in brightness 47 years ago when a small hydropower project in Kathekhola, near Baglung Bazaar, generated electricity in 2033. However, rural residents have yet to receive electricity.

Even 47 years after electricity reached the district headquarters, power lines have not yet been extended to the settlements in western Baglung. Although the lines have reached the roadside, the national transmission line has still not reached the rural settlements of four municipalities in the district.

The residents of the district headquarters began enjoying electricity 47 years ago when a small hydropower project in Kathekhola, near Baglung Bazaar, generated power in 2033. However, the rural residents have yet to receive electricity. “The national transmission line arrived in 2047 BS (1990 AD),” said local Kaji Gaunle Shrestha, “but electricity was generated from the small hydropower plant back in 2033.”

The residents of western Baglung are only now preparing to receive electricity, 34 years after the central transmission line brought power to Baglung Bazaar, the district headquarters. In many settlements, the dream of having electricity has yet to be realized. Despite years of struggle, they have been unable to bring electricity to their villages.

The lack of electricity has made life difficult in rural settlements. A cold storage facility built in Lamele, Tamankhola Rural Municipality-4, remains unused due to the absence of electricity. Although the village has power from micro-hydropower, it is insufficient to run the cold storage, so they are waiting for the national transmission line. The building, constructed last fiscal year with an investment of 10.5 million rupees—5 million from the provincial government, 4.5 million from the federal government’s supplementary budget, and 1.5 million from the rural municipality—remains unutilized without electricity.

For years, the residents of Arnakhot in Nisikhola Rural Municipality-2 have struggled due to the lack of electricity, which has prevented them from pumping water. Ward Chairman Kuwir BK says that every year they make plans, hoping that electricity will finally reach them so they can pump water from the stream to the settlement. The locals have to walk for two to three hours a day to fetch water. Even the mobile phone tower in the area faces challenges due to the lack of electricity.

There is a lack of electricity,” said Santosh Baral, the chief engineer of Nepal Telecom in Baglung. “When we received complaints about frequent phone disconnections due to the power shortage at the tower, we installed a generator. While this has resolved some issues, it is not a permanent solution.

Due to the lack of electricity, the tower in Nisikhol-5, Nisel Dhor, is not operational, leading to ongoing issues with phone connectivity. The 2G service installed last year has not yet been activated. Locals report that phones work when it’s sunny but go out of service when it’s not. During rain, cloudy weather, or frequent fog, Nisel Dhor becomes disconnected from phone communication. The same electricity shortage causes phone issues in Nisel Dhor, Dhorpatan, and Burtibang in Baglung as well. Tourists traveling to Buki also complain about being unable to communicate due to the lack of phone service. Soldiers stationed in Dhorpatan have also mentioned difficulties in contacting their families.

Even the second-largest town after the district headquarters, Burtibang, is not yet fully electrified. Although the power line reached there three years ago, it has only been extended to wards 1 and 2 of Dhorpatan Municipality. According to local resident Bimala Mahat, efforts are underway to electrify ward 5 by the end of Asar (mid-July). Gandaki Thapa Adhikari, the chairperson of Badigad Rural Municipality-8, Ransinkiteni, mentioned that the lack of electricity has also caused issues in the local health institution. “We are trying to bring electricity to the village, but the delay is due to the unfinished substation,” she said. “The power line that supplies Burtibang passes through here, but the branches have not been extended.” She noted that the lack of electricity has affected the ward office, health post, and schools. Adhikari also mentioned that the rural municipality is struggling to secure a budget for the expansion of the electricity service.

The lack of electricity in Dhorpatan Municipality, Badigad Rural Municipality, Taman, and Nisikhola in western Baglung has impacted daily life. “It has also been challenging for those who want to set up furniture industries, stone processing industries, and motor garages in rural areas,” said Joklal Budha, the chairperson of Tamankhola Rural Municipality. “There is an urgent need to electrify the area.”

Mudbari & Joshi Gaura Joint Construction Company is constructing the substation. Although the goal was to complete the substation by the end of Asar (mid-July) with a budget of 330 million rupees, delays in importing materials have caused some setbacks, according to engineer Prakash Yadav. Once the 132 kV transmission line is connected in Rinama, the surrounding areas will be electrified. Currently, the 11 kV transmission line from Harichaur in Galkot-5 supplies electricity, but it could not meet the power needs in Burtibang, which has prevented further expansion. Harichaur is located 50 km east of Burtibang.

Even after the substation is completed, engineer Yadav mentioned that there will still be challenges in extending electricity to the Nisikhola and Dhorpatan areas. “There are settlements located 50 to 60 km away from here, and direct electricity supply to those places will not be feasible,” Yadav said. “However, we have set up a connection system.”

Source: Kantipur