Electricity from Upper Tamor to be connected to 220 KV transmission

By Chandra Pandak Taplejung, June 13: Electricity generated from the Upper Tamor Hydroelectricity Project in Taplejung district will soon be connected to 220 KV transmission line. The energy will be evacuated via 220KV transmission line which is being constructed by the Nepal Electricity Authority in Dhungesanghu of the district. 

According to Upper Tamor's proposing company, Tamor Sanima Energy Pvt., it will connect the energy with the national transmission line. 

Sanima Hydro and Engineering Pvt. Ltd. has prepared preliminary environmental assessment report with the initiation for connecting the energy with the national grid. 

The double circuit transmission line will be 4.7 kilometers long to carry the energy generated from the Upper Tamor from the power house to the sub-station of the 220 kV transmission line under construction in Maiwakhola Rural Municipality -1 Dhungesanghu. 

According to Sharada Pant, an environmentalist involved in the preparation of the report, one tower for transmission line will be constructed at the end of Phungling Municipality-10 and five towers at Khokling of Mikwakhola Rural Municipality-2.

Similarly, a total of 13 towers including seven in Sawadin area of Faktanglung Rural Municipality -1 have to be constructed. Pant informed that the transmission linea should be extended through Phungling Municipality, Faktanglung, Mikwakhola and Maiwakhola's Thumba, Mitlung, Khaireni, Khurpadin, Furumbu, Thauwa, Nakla and Lorindin villages.

Another environmentalist Suman Prajapati said that the project will directly affect 21 households.

While operating the project, 1,535 trees of 56 species have to be cut down from the forest area. In order to reduce the negative impact on the biological environment and increase the positive impact, 15,350 saplings have to be planted to compensate the loss of trees, mentions the report.

Meanwhile, the locals have demanded that employment opportunities should be provided to the locals while implementing the expansion of hydropower generation and transmission lines. 

It has been demanded that the project operator or the construction company should make a commitment to provide employment to the local workers as the pre-operation conditions will not be implemented later. The local leaders have warned that the company should be responsible if there is any obstacle in the project implementation phase in case it did not provide employment opportunities to the locals.

About 358 MW of electricity including 73 MW of Upper Tamor and Central Tamor Hydropower Project under construction will be included in the national transmission system.