
Kathmandu: Nepal Electricity Authority has started supplying electricity through an underground distribution system in Pokhara from Friday. Previously, this service was being provided in various locations in Kathmandu through the underground distribution system.
In the first phase, the Nepal Electricity Authority has stated that the distribution line from the Kundahar 132/11 kV substation towards the west, covering Amar Singh Chowk, Buddha Chowk, and up to the Seti River Bridge section, has been placed underground, supplying electricity to approximately 300 customers.
Nepal Electricity Authority’s Managing Director, Kulman Ghising, has informed that the 11 kV and 400-volt lines in the main city and roads under the Pokhara Distribution Center are being placed underground, along with the installation of optical fiber in those areas. He stated, “The underground distribution system is safer and more reliable than the overhead system.”
The Pokhara–Bharatpur Distribution System Strengthening Project has been initiated with the investment from the Nepal Electricity Authority and concessional loans from the Asian Development Bank. A contract for the construction of the project was signed with Tata Projects Limited from India in October 2021, amounting to 167 million USD. According to the Authority, the work in the Pokhara area is targeted to be completed by next Shrawan (July-August).
Before Pokhara, the Nepal Electricity Authority had implemented the underground distribution system in Kathmandu. According to the Authority, electricity is being supplied through underground lines in areas such as Kalanki, Kalimati-Tripurreshwar, Balkhu-Chobhar, Kirtipur, and Tangal-Baluwatar, as well as in Pepsicola-Jadibuti. Similarly, the underground electricity distribution system has also been initiated in areas like Lazimpat-Maharajgunj, Samakhusi-Ranibari, and Chabahil. The undergrounding work in Maitighar-Baneshwar-Koteshwar, Baneshwar-Gaushala, and Maharajgunj-Budhanilkantha is 75% complete.
The Deputy Executive of the Authority’s Project Management Directorate, Tara Prasad Pradhan, stated that the underground system work is ongoing in various locations in Kathmandu. He said, “Although electricity has been placed underground in some areas, the poles could not be removed. We have removed poles in the Indrachowk–New Road area. The delay is due to the presence of optical fiber cables from other providers on the poles.”
Stating that electrical wires and poles have made the city unsafe and unattractive, the Nepal Electricity Authority, with the support of the Asian Development Bank, initiated the underground distribution system in Kathmandu in 2020. Since the underground system is not affected by storms, rain, or lightning, the electricity supplied through this system is considered reliable, high-quality, and safe. The Authority has also stated that it helps minimize the risk of loss of life and property due to electrical accidents.
As optical fiber is being laid alongside electrical wires, internet, telecommunication, and cable television service providers will be able to use this optical fiber to deliver services through the underground system.
According to the Authority, although electrical wires are laid underground, transformers and panel boards remain above ground. The Authority routes the electrical wires from the transformer to the panel board through an underground pathway. From the panel board, electricity is then supplied to customers.
Source: Ratopati