In Nawalpur’s Bulingtar Rural Municipality, villages like Arkhal and Deurali have electricity poles and wires installed, but power distribution has yet to begin. Shivanarayan Goshli, head of Nepal Electricity Authority’s Kawasoti Distribution Center, attributed the delays to negligence by the contractor, Unicron Construction. Under the Gandaki Provincial Government’s Ujyalo Gandaki Province program, remaining infrastructure is set to be completed soon, with plans to energize these villages shortly, he stated. (April 21, Triveni)
Although electrical poles and transmission lines have reached the hilly areas of Nawalpur, electricity has not been supplied yet. Various villages within Bulingtar Rural Municipality—including Arkhal and Deurali—are yet to receive power from the national transmission line. Ward Chairperson Min Bahadur Ale reported that despite the completion of electricity infrastructure such as wires and poles in Arkhal-4 over a year ago, villagers still have no electricity. Residents of Deurali have also paid meter installation fees long ago but remain without power.
While Nepal Electricity Authority operates a substation at Bojha Pokhari, villages located 7 to 8 kilometers away still live in darkness. Ward Chairperson Ale explained that some villages rely on small-scale hydropower. Although Arkhal receives electricity from such hydropower, it doesn’t meet their full consumption needs. “The small hydropower runs only at night; during the day we have no option but to watch the unused poles and lines from the central grid,” he remarked.
The lack of electricity also hampers public services provided by the ward office. “The office uses solar power during the day, but it’s ineffective without sunlight. Most services now depend on electricity, so residents are being turned away. This problem would be resolved once electricity arrives,” said Chairperson Ale. For events like weddings or religious ceremonies during the day, prior notice is needed to activate the small hydropower. However, it can only support minimal lighting and cannot power the use of many electrical devices, he added.
According to Shivanarayan Goshli, the delay stems from contractor negligence as the company did not complete work on time. Unicron Construction, responsible for building the electricity distribution infrastructure, failed to finish the job within the stipulated schedule, preventing power distribution in the area. Work in this region commenced during the 2019/20 fiscal year under the Gandaki Provincial Government’s “Ujyalo Gandaki Province” project. Goshli emphasized that the contractor is being continuously urged to expedite the remaining work, and once completed, electricity will be supplied to the villages soon. Power will be extended from Deurali, Arkhal, Singchang to Kokhetar on the Kaligandaki corridor, he stated. “We are pressuring the completion of electricity infrastructure and expect distribution to begin shortly,” he concluded.
