Government, World Bank launch $275 million Butwal-Gorusinghe-Chanauta road

The Government and the World Bank today jointly launched the $275 million (equivalent to Rs 34.96 billion) Accelerating Nepal’s Regional Transport and Trade Connectivity (ACCESS) Project aiming at upgrading Butwal-Gorusinghe-Chanauta road.

Under the project, the 69-kilometer two-lane section of the Butwal-Gorusinghe-Chanauta road along the East-West Highway will be upgraded to a climate-resilient four-lane highway, according to a press note issued by the World Bank. "With a focus on ensuring better road safety, the project is expected to reduce travel time by 30 percent, thus providing better access to India’s western seaports."

The project will construct at least three market areas with required internet and trade information facilities along the highway to help enhance economic opportunities, especially for women entrepreneurs and traders, the press note reads, adding that the project will also support advancing Nepal’s preparedness and subsequent implementation of the Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) signed by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal to allow smooth passage of goods and passenger vehicles in each other’s territories. "It will help improve trade and connectivity by reducing trade and transport costs and transit time along selected corridors in Nepal."

The project was jointly launched by Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala and the World Bank Vice President for South Asia, Martin Raiser.

“The ACCESS project will help develop resilient infrastructure in Nepal and help unlock Nepal’s economic potential through better connectivity and trade, both between the provinces as well as regionally,” said minister Prakash Jwala, after launching the project.

“Enhanced trade and transport connectivity promotes economic integration and opens larger markets among South Asian countries," World Bank vice president for South Asia Region Martin Raiser, on the occasion, said, adding that the ACCESS project will help improve regional trade and promote sustainable infrastructure development to support Nepal’s green, resilient, and inclusive development.

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Industries, Commerce and Supplies, and Ministry of Forests and Environment. The project’s financing agreement was signed by the Government and the World Bank in September 2022, the press note adds.

NEA to connect all households with electricity by 2022

The government has planned to provide electricity to every household across the country within three years. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is the implementing agency of the government plan of connecting all households across the country in the national grid in line with the government's guidelines.
“The NEA is working according to the plan to supply electricity to all households of the country by 2022," confirmed NEA's managing director Kulman Ghising. By the end of the last fiscal year 2018-19, some 3.91 million household – up by 10 per cent from a fiscal year ago in 2017-18 – across the country, the state power utility claimed, adding that some 78 per cent households are connected to the national electricity grid, if the clients of community organisations and Butwal Power Company (BPC) are also included. “It means that 22 per cent households are still without access to electricity.”
The NEA has supplied electricity from the national grid to Manang, Solukhumbu, Bajhang and Darchula districts in the last fiscal year, Ghising claimed, adding that the NEA is working on connecting Rukum Purba, Kalikot, Bajura, and Jumla districts in the national grid in the current fiscal year. “The NEA has a target to supply electricity to Mugu and Dolpa in two years.”
After electrification of these two districts, Humla district will be our priority," he added.
A total of 7.55 billion units of electricity were available in the national grid in the last fiscal year, according to the data of NEA that has been giving priority to the use of modern technology to improve its operational efficiency, reduce power leakage, and provide quality services to its clients, it claimed.
The NEA also plans to install smart meters and smart grid technology for the automation, Ghising said, adding that the centralised online bill payment system will be expanded. “There are 83 hydropower projects from the private sector with an installed capacity of 560 MW, apart from additional 120 private sector projects that are under construction after achieving financial closures, with a combined installed capacity of 2,613 MW.”
The state power utility has signed power purchase agreements (PPA) with 85 projects for the supply of 1,480 MW in the last fiscal year 2017-18. The NEA has so far signed PPA with 340 independent power producers for the supply of 6,044 MW of electricity.