KATHMANDU: The government has cleared the remaining obstacles to the Dhalkebar-Hetauda 400 kV transmission line by approving the use of forest land in Makwanpur, paving the way for construction of the project that had been stalled for 12 years.

A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday authorized the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to use 2.2 hectares of national forest land and approved the felling of 1,292 trees in accordance with the Forest Act, 2019.

According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the project had been delayed due to pending approvals related to forest land, right of way, and tree removal. The 300-kilometer Dhalkebar-Hetauda-Inaruwa corridor requires a 46-meter-wide right of way for the 400 kV transmission line.

The ministry said the new line will strengthen the national transmission system, improve east-west electricity flow, reduce power interruptions, and increase Nepal’s electricity export capacity to India. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said the project would boost export capacity from the current 1,000 MW to 2,500 to 3,000 MW once fully operational.