Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta East): Despite the expansion of transmission infrastructure by the Nepal Electricity Authority, residents in the hilly areas of Nawalpur are still deprived of electricity services. Even though wires and poles were installed more than a year ago in villages such as Arkhala and Deurali under Bulingtar Rural Municipality, electricity distribution has yet to begin.
According to Ward Chairperson Min Bahadur Ale of Bulingtar-4, all necessary infrastructure for electricity distribution in Arkhala is ready, but residents are still unable to access power. In Deurali, locals have already paid fees for meter installation a long time ago, yet the service has not been activated.
Although a substation is operational at nearby Bojha Pokhari, villages located 7–8 kilometers away are still forced to live in darkness. Some settlements rely on micro-hydropower, but it is insufficient to meet daily electricity needs. “The micro-hydro runs only at night, and during the day we are left just looking at the central grid’s wires and poles,” Ale complained.
The lack of electricity has also affected local service delivery. The ward office is forced to rely on solar power, and on cloudy days, services cannot be provided, requiring service seekers to return without assistance.
According to Shiv Narayan Goshali, chief of the Electricity Distribution Center in Kawasoti, delays by the contractor have hindered the expansion of electricity services. The project, launched in fiscal year 2019/20 under the “Ujyalo Gandaki Province” program, had assigned infrastructure construction to Unicorn Construction, but delays in completing the work have caused the current situation.
In some areas, landslides have damaged poles, and reconstruction is currently underway with allocated budget. The center stated that efforts are ongoing to complete the remaining infrastructure and soon extend electricity to Deurali, Arkhala, Singchang, and up to Kokhetar along the Kaligandaki Corridor.
“The work will be completed soon, and electricity will reach those villages,” said Chief Goshali.
Urjasanchar
