Kathmandu, October 13. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has extended the national electricity grid to Hatiya in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality–3, in the northern part of Sankhuwasabha district, and commenced electricity supply through the national grid.
The grid extension was carried out under a project implemented through the Planning and Technical Services Department of the Distribution and Customer Service Directorate of the NEA. Previously, electricity in the Hatiya area was supplied through a micro-hydropower project.
With the commencement of electricity supply through the national grid, power supply in the remote and geographically difficult area is expected to become more reliable and adequate. Local residents, government offices, health institutions, rice and flour mills, cottage industries and other electricity consumers are expected to benefit directly.
According to Rambabu Chaudhary, chief of the Khandbari Distribution Centre, electricity supply has begun after installing three-phase meters at the Bhotkhola Rural Municipality office and the hospital in Hahiya. He said the extension of the national grid would help improve the availability, continuity and reliability of electricity supply in the area.
The NEA has also initiated the necessary procedures to extend the national grid to Kimathanka, a settlement in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality bordering China. The contract process for extending electricity supply to the area is already underway. The authority aims to bring electricity from the national grid to Kimathanka within the current fiscal year.
Prioritizing the expansion of electricity access in Sankhuwasabha, the NEA has continued extending the national grid to remote and geographically challenging settlements. Approximately 95 percent of households in the district receive electricity through the national grid, while the remaining households rely on micro-hydropower and solar energy.
The NEA’s efforts to extend the national grid to remote and geographically isolated settlements are expected to contribute to improving local living standards, strengthening the delivery of health and education services, and expanding economic activities in the area.
