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The Chameliya River, locally known as ‘Chamleu’ (Chaulani), flows from the foothills of Apihimal (7,132 meters). Although there is much talk about electricity generation from the Chameliya River, the settlements near its source are deprived of light.

Settlements such as Lwathi, Lumcha, Khaykot, Bhattar, Gurusad, Siti, Arukhod in Api Himal Rural Municipality-1, and Ghusa, Patu, Lithe, and others in Ward No. 2 are still in darkness. Even though the white snow of the mountains reflects a hint of light, the absence of electricity in the village has made daily life difficult for locals.

However, in Api Himal - the most remote area of the district - rays of hope have started to appear. After transformers were transported via helicopter for electrification, the locals now have increased confidence that electricity will soon illuminate their village.

Work to install electricity poles has begun in villages across Api Himal, and the high-tension line has now reached Dhanbora in Api Himal Rural Municipality-2. As pole installation and wire-laying progress, local residents are visibly excited. They are confident that electricity will finally reach their villages once these works are completed.

Ramesh Singh Lothyal of Api Himal-2 said, “For the sake of electricity in our village, we have even carried poles on our backs and installed them ourselves. Once the wires arrive, further electrification will begin.” Currently, only Ward No. 5 of the six wards in Api Himal Rural Municipality has electricity from the national transmission line. Pole extension work is now underway to bring electricity to all remaining wards.

According to construction contractor Jeevan Lothyal, who is overseeing the electrification work, preparations are now underway to extend the electricity line through Api Himal Rural Municipality-3 and 4, reaching Ward No. 2. Poles still need to be installed in other parts of the municipality, particularly above Bhattar village in Ward No. 1. Once the poles are in place, the line-extension campaign will move forward, he said.

Bhagatsingh Thekrey, chairperson of Api Himal Rural Municipality, stated that the municipality will soon be connected to the national grid. He added that the expansion of the national transmission line into each settlement is progressing rapidly.

Chairperson Bohara further noted that line extension has been completed across all areas of Ward No. 4, while parts of Ward No. 3 have also received lines and high-tension poles are currently being transported. In Wards No. 1 and 2, transportation of local service poles is now 90 percent complete.

Meanwhile, pole transportation work is ongoing in Ward No. 6.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is working to extend electricity to all local levels in Darchula through the Darchula-Dolpa Rural Electrification Project. According to Manoj Basnet, engineer and project manager at Cosmic Electrical Limited, the main and branch electricity lines in Darchula are being installed rapidly.

Basnet added that 22 transformers have already been transported to Api Himal via Simrik Air helicopters, and high-tension line extension is underway.

Electrification in most local levels of the district - including Mahakali, Lekam, Malikarjun, Duhun, and Shailyashikhar - is now in its final phase. Work is also ongoing in Byas, Marma, and Naugad. Delays in Api Himal have occurred due to a shortage of manpower, Basnet noted.

Roushan Kumar Thakur, head of the Darchula Distribution Center, said that the NEA’s Attariya regional office and Darchula Distribution Center are currently carrying out line extension, maintenance, and electrification work across all nine local levels of the district.

According to Thakur, Darchula, which has around 28,000 households, currently has electricity access in 22,488 households. This accounts for 79.24 percent of total electrification. Electric meters have already been installed in these households.

In the last fiscal year 2024/25, electricity worth NPR 57,581,955 was sold to 20,563 customers across the district’s seven rural municipalities and two municipalities, which together have 28,381 households.

During the same period, 1,867 new electricity customers were added in the district. The distribution center also constructed 20.8 km of low-tension (LT) line, 15.25 km of 11 kV line, and installed nine new transformers. Work to add more LT lines and transformers is ongoing. Thakur noted that electricity consumption in the district currently stands at only 2 megawatts.

100 Megawatts of Electricity Production

The Chamelia River and surrounding rivers - considered a “hub” of electricity - have so far produced 100 megawatts of power, but the district is consuming only 2 megawatts. Electricity production in the district continues.

Government-operated Chamelia Hydropower Project is currently generating 30 megawatts of electricity in Balanch, located in Shailyashikhar Municipality-1. The Darchula Distribution Center of the Nepal Electricity Authority stated that electricity generated from Chamelia is being transmitted across the district and also supplied outside the district.

In the private sector, the Upper Chamelia project in Ghattegad, Marma Rural Municipality-2, is producing 40 megawatts of electricity, generated by Api Power Limited.

Similarly, 10 megawatts are being produced at Makrigad in Api Himal Rural Municipality-5, 8.5 megawatts at Naugad Khola Hydropower Project in Shailyashikhar Municipality-2, and 8 megawatts at Upper Naugad Khola Project. These projects are generating electricity on a commercial basis.

Additionally, a 100-kilowatt electricity project in Kshattigad, Api Himal Rural Municipality-3, is providing power to Wards No. 3 and 4 of Api Himal.

In Naugad Rural Municipality-3, a 100-kilowatt project in Hoprigad is supplying electricity to Wards No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Naugad, according to Pan Singh Dhami, chairperson of the construction committee.

Electricity Production Underway at Chamelia and Thaligad Projects

Construction of the 28.3-megawatt Middle Chamelia Hydropower Project is currently underway in Marma Rural Municipality-2, Darchula. The project is being developed by Darchula Power Limited at a cost of NPR 566 crore. The dam for the Middle Chamelia project is being constructed about half a kilometer downstream of the powerhouse of the Upper Chamelia Hydropower Project.

Binay Upreti, project manager, said that the project’s foundation stone was laid on 10, Feb 22, 2025 by the subsidiary of Api Power Company, Darchula Power Limited, with a target to complete the project within 24 months. Construction is progressing with pipelines, power houses, and other infrastructure underway. About 25 percent of the work has been completed, and Upreti stated that 60 percent of the project is expected to be finished before the monsoon season.

The powerhouse is being constructed in Nalbagad, Marma Rural Municipality-3, approximately 7.5 km downstream from the dam site in Lambagad, Marma Rural Municipality-2. Electricity generated from this project will be connected to the Balanch Substation, nine kilometers downstream. The project is expected to produce 185.62 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. Nepal Bank Limited and Nabil Bank hold 75 percent of the project’s loan investment, while Darchula Power Limited provides the remaining 25 percent equity.

In addition, a 2-megawatt Thaligad Small Hydropower Project is under construction on the Thaligad River, which flows along the boundary of Mahakali Municipalities-6 and 7. Dilip Singh Budhathoki, director of Trikal Power Company Pvt. Ltd., said that initial works have already begun at Thaligad.

Electricity from the Thaligad project will be connected to the NEA’s Dhap Substation via a 1-kilometer, 33 kV line. The project aims to start electricity production by April 23, 2026, with an estimated construction cost of NPR 40–45 crore.