KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment (MOAFE) approved 26 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports during the fiscal year 2025/26, with hydropower projects accounting for most of the approvals.

According to the ministry, it also approved 32 scoping reports, six supplementary EIAs, nine revised environmental management plans, and 15 supplementary studies and granted permission to revise environmental management plans for seven projects. It also extended deadlines for five projects and imposed penalties on six.

Among the major projects receiving EIA approval were the 341 MW Budhigandaki, 270 MW Bheri-1 Semi-Reservoir, 90 MW Marsyangdi Semi-Reservoir, 91.15 MW Budhigandaki River, 88 MW Rolwaling, 35 MW Upper Apsukhola, 30 MW Upper Dudhkhola, and 34.39 MW Super Budhigandaki hydropower projects.

The ministry also approved revised environmental management plans for several hydropower projects, including Super Tamor, Upper Balefi, Tinau Khola, Rolwaling Khola, Balefi Khola, Kaligandaki Gorge, and the 201 MW Upper Marsyangdi project.

In addition, revised environmental management plans were approved for the Lapsiphedi-Ratamate, Ratamate-New Hetauda, Ratamate-New Damauli, New Damauli-New Butwal, and New Butwal-Nepal-India Border 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines, along with the Ratamate, New Damauli, and New Butwal 400 kV substations being developed under the MCA-Nepal (Millennium Challenge Account Nepal) project.