Kathmandu: The under-construction 220 kV Damauli–Bharatpur Transmission Line Project, being developed under the Tanahu Hydropower Project, has moved into a crucial phase after receiving approval to cut trees within national and community forest areas in Chitwan district.
The Division Forest Office, Chitwan, granted forest entry permission to the project effective from Friday. Following the approval, the project will proceed with tree felling, log preparation, timber collection, and safe storage works within the transmission line construction corridor. A formal agreement regarding the process has also been signed between the project and the Division Forest Office.
According to the project, a total of 1,263 trees of various species located in the government-managed Satanchuli Protected Area, Satanchuli Community Forest under Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1, and the Akaladevi and Siddhadevi Community Forests in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29 will be cut down. The timber obtained after felling must be safely stored within the stipulated timeframe at locations designated by the respective community forest user groups and the Sub-Division Forest Office.
The approval was issued as part of the forest land utilization process required for transmission line construction. Earlier, on December 6, 2022, the Government of Nepal’s Council of Ministers had approved the use of a total of 92.73 hectares of forest land in Chitwan and Tanahun districts for the project. Of this, 25.27 hectares lie in Chitwan and 67.46 hectares in Tanahun. Under the same decision, permission was also granted to remove a total of 9,127 trees within the project area.
To implement the Cabinet decision, an agreement was signed on January 14, 2026, between the project and the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation. Following the agreement, tree marking work within the transmission line corridor began in coordination with the Division Forest Office, the project, and the concerned community forest user groups. The marking work on the Chitwan side has already been completed, while the process in Tanahun district is still ongoing, according to the project.
The 220 kV Damauli–Bharatpur Transmission Line is a key infrastructure project being constructed to connect electricity generated by the Tanahu Hydropower Project to the national transmission system. Once completed, electricity generated by the project will be evacuated to the national grid through the Bharatpur Substation.
At a time when balancing energy infrastructure expansion with forest utilization and environmental management remains a major challenge, the project stated that forest management procedures under the transmission line project are being carried out in coordination among government agencies, the project, and local community forest user groups.
