By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 4: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has achieved a significant progress in the last fiscal year despite the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the NEA, it was able to achieve 81.23 per cent financial progress, spending around Rs. 47.14 billion budget out of Rs. 58.4 billion allocated for power generation, transmission and distribution of lines operating by the NEA in the last fiscal year.
The physical progress of the project was Rs. 82.29 per cent in the last fiscal year.
The NEA had allocated Rs. 58.4 billion for the hydropower projects operating under the government of Nepal, foreign loan and grant and its own resources in the last fiscal year.
Over 92 per cent of the budget allocated to increase the access of power and distribution lines to ensure durable and quality power supply to the consumers was spent in the last fiscal year, said NEA.
Managing Director of NEA Kulman Ghising said that financial and physical progress of the NEA was encouraging in the last fiscal year despite the obstruction of works on projects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the construction works of all projects was affected badly in four months of the lockdown.
‘However, construction works of some projects have completed despite the impact of COVID-19 due to the efforts of the concerned government bodies to continue the works even in lockdown by maintaining the safety protocol,” Ghising said.
Under the power generation, NEA spent Rs. 5.53 billion out of total allocation of Rs. 7.80 billion in the last fiscal year.
Under the execution of hydropower projects, it was able to achieve 70.82 per cent financial progress and 76.83 per cent physical progress.
In the last fiscal year, around 135 MW power was added in the national grid by completing the construction of 15 projects under the private sector.
The NEA has been studying the major projects, including 1,061 MW Upper Arun, 635 MW Dudhkoshi, Upper Modi A and Tamakoshi Five, Ghising said, adding that physical progress of those projects was 33.39 per cent.
The lockdown has also affected the study of the projects.
The 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi and 140 MW Tanahun Hydropower Project are now in construction. The NEA has set a target to complete the construction work of the Upper Tamakoshi during the current fiscal year 2020/21.
285 circuit kilometre transmission lines added
About 285 KM circuit kilometre transmission lines from the six hydropower projects were added in the last fiscal year. Under the transmission lines, the NEA spent Rs. 19.52 billion out of total allocation of Rs. 26.48 billion in the last fiscal year.
Similarly, under the distribution lines, the NEA constructed 24 substations in the last fiscal year. The NEA constructed 405 kilometre distribution lines in the last fiscal year.
The NEA was able to spend of Rs. 17.57 billion out of the total allocation of Rs. 19.8 billion for the distribution lines.
15 districts become fully electrified
With the declaration of 11 districts fully electrified in the last fiscal year, a total of 15 districts across the country became fully electrified.
In the last fiscal year, Dhankuta, Sunsari, Siraha, Dhanusa, Mahotari, Bara, Parsa, Newakot, Kapilvastu, Gulmi and Bardiya became fully electrified. Earlier, Parbat, Syangja, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur were fully electrified.
However, the NEA had set a target to make 40 districts fully electrified in the last fiscal year.