Kathmandu, 7 December 2025 – The work of undergrounding electric wires within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City area will be carried out in coordination with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The Director of the Authority and the Head of the Metropolitan City Public Works Department have been assigned to monitor and coordinate the necessary work to address the issues observed in the field during the undergrounding process.
Following complaints that the Department of Roads, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and other agencies had not given consent, and that construction contractors failed to repair roads after completing the work, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure, Transport, and Urban Development Kulman Ghising held discussions on Sunday with the Executive Director of the Authority, the project chief, representatives of the Metropolitan City, and construction contractors.
Minister Ghising emphasized that the undergrounding of wires in Kathmandu should be completed before the start of the upcoming rainy season. He urged that work should begin immediately in coordination with internet, telephone, and television service providers to remove overhead wires in areas where the work has been completed.
“I am currently handling the responsibilities of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure. I have already discussed with the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City to proceed with undergrounding work in the areas where it is pending. The metropolis is supporting us. Let’s proceed with the work in areas including Putalisadak, where the project is still pending. This is the last opportunity. If we do not do it now, we may never get it done,” said Ghising. He directed that all necessary work, including road repairs observed in the field, should be carried out immediately after construction is completed.
NEA Managing Director Manoj Silwal stated that the construction work will be carried out in coordination with the Department of Roads and local authorities. Silwal also mentioned that electricity supply through underground wires has already started in the areas where work has been completed, and overhead lines are being gradually removed.
NEA initially began undergrounding work in areas under the Ratnapark and Maharajgunj distribution centers in Kathmandu to strengthen and automate the electricity distribution system of the Kathmandu Valley during the first phase.
In the second phase, the rest of Kathmandu will be covered; in the third phase, the urban areas of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur; and in the fourth phase, undergrounding, strengthening, and automation of the distribution system will be carried out in areas under Pokhara and Bharatpur Metropolitan Cities. Construction progress within the Kathmandu subdistrict is about 80 percent.
Under this project, 33 kV, 11 kV, and 400 V underground lines will be constructed, and optical fiber will also be laid. This will eliminate the tangled overhead wires of electricity, telephone, and internet service providers, improving the city’s appearance. The underground system will be safer than the current overhead distribution system. The technology used for undergrounding causes minimal damage to roads.
Nighttime work arrangements have been made to avoid disrupting vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and measures have been taken to minimize dust released during road excavation. Roads damaged during the undergrounding process will be repaired within 10 days.
