KATHMANDU: A coordination meeting was held today between the Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

The meeting was held with the participation of Minister for Forests and Environment Madhav Prasad Chaulagain and Energy Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, along with secretaries, department and division heads, and other senior officials of both ministries.

In the meeting held detailed discussions on issues that were halted due to land ownership rights within forest areas related to energy and hydropower projects, approval processes, and procedural complications.

The discussion focused on how to facilitate projects that have been delayed primarily due to issues such as forest area usage permits, environmental approvals, and lack of coordination among various agencies.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Nepal Electricity Authority and the Department of Electricity Development.

The participants presented their views on the legal, administrative, and technical obstacles observed during the implementation of the programme.

During the discussion, it was agreed to strengthen mutual coordination to remove obstacles observed in the implementation of hydropower and energy projects while maintaining the necessary balance between environmental protection and energy development.

The meeting concluded that prioritising environmentally friendly development and making the related processes swift and effective should be the focus.

On the occasion, both ministries have expressed their commitment to strengthen cooperation by resolving the problems of stalled projects through a regular coordination mechanism in the coming days, achieving sustainable energy development, environmental protection, and national development goals.