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Construction of a power transmission line under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Nepal has progressed in Tanahun district. Under Route Lot-2 of the transmission line project, a 40.02-kilometer section stretching from Ratamata to New Damauli will pass through 18 wards in five local governments of Tanahun.

According to MCA Nepal’s Tanahun Liaison Officer, Humnath Dhakal, a total of 199 transmission line towers will be built along this section. The contract for tower construction has been awarded to Angelique Skipper JV India. The total length of the transmission line being constructed under MCA Nepal is 72.45 kilometers.

Of the towers to be constructed in the Tanahun section, 105 will be built on private land and 71 on public land. Construction of 23 towers has been halted due to technical reasons. Dhakal said that land acquisition procedures for these towers are being carried out in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act, 1977.

The transmission line project is expected to affect 241 households in Tanahun. A total of 284 private land parcels will be impacted during tower construction, while 126.86 ropani of private land will need to be acquired for the project.

Compensation and reimbursement payments to affected landowners are also underway. The total approved compensation amount stands at NPR 170.69 million. Of this, NPR 103.39 million had been distributed to 172 households as compensation and reimbursement by the end of the last fiscal year in mid-July, according to Dhakal.

MCA Nepal aims to complete the remaining land acquisition process and distribute all compensation within the current fiscal year. It also plans to begin the assessment and distribution of right-of-way (RoW) compensation for land located beneath the transmission lines.

Under the RoW provision, landowners are entitled to compensation based on the impact of the transmission line on land beneath the conductors after construction. Dhakal said the target is to determine and distribute RoW compensation within the current fiscal year after completing the necessary procedures.

The MCA transmission line project is considered crucial for connecting generated electricity to the national transmission system by ensuring coordination between power generation projects and transmission infrastructure. With land acquisition, compensation distribution, and arrangements for the land required for the stalled towers moving forward, construction of the transmission line in the Tanahun section is expected to gain further momentum.

Jalasarokar