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Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has expressed concern over the power crisis in Karnali Province after two 132 kV transmission towers collapsed in the Chisapani area of Banke under the Kohalpur–Surkhet transmission line.

On Wednesday, Minister Shrestha directed the concerned authorities to expedite the repair and maintenance of the damaged towers as well as the investigation process into the incident. The two towers of the Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line were completely damaged after trees fell onto the line due to strong winds and storms.

Following the incident, the minister’s secretariat said it has been continuously coordinating with the concerned offices to restore electricity service as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Nepal Electricity Authority has formed an investigation committee under the coordination of Grid Operation Chief Raman Raj Sharma to determine the facts surrounding the incident.

According to the authority, the damaged towers were constructed by RS Infra Company. During technical inspection, it was found that the tower foundations would need to be completely rebuilt, and preliminary estimates suggest that repair and restoration work could take around three weeks to complete.

The Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line has been regarded as a crucial infrastructure project for addressing the long-term electricity problems of Karnali Province. However, the damage caused by the natural disaster before the project became fully operational has created additional challenges for the province’s energy security.

Minister Shrestha has instructed authorities to treat the repair work as a top priority and carry it out on a war footing, according to his secretariat.rts of Karnali has become challenging, according to the authority.

Jalasarokar