Indigenous Peoples, Dalits, and Locals from Nawalparasi District, Binayi Triveni Rural Municipality-2, affected by the World Bank-funded Hetauda Bardaghat 220 KV Transmission Line Project, filed a complaint to the World Bank's Inspection Penal on 18 October 2021.
The project (Nepal-India Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (P115767) and its Additional Financing -P132631) was commenced in 2011 and extended three times, and it is still under construction. The Transmission Line's original route ( Jyamire Hulaki Khola) avoided human settlement, properties, agricultural lands, schools, and public places. The original route was changed and taken through densely populated areas without any notice and consultation with the affected communities in 2068 BS. Since then, they have consistently requested the Nepal Electricity Authority, Ministry of Energy, and other authorities to change the route or find an alternative, that is feasible. They only got verbal words but never substantiated, finally they filed a case in the Supreme Court and were able to issue the Stay Order.
The NEA and Government did not respect the Stay Order (in 25 Chaitra 2077 BS) and deployed security forces to install the Transmission Tower in the Binayi Trevini. During the amid of COVID, and Locked Down the Government issued a notice for land acquisition that was supposed to issue in 2011.
The communities communicated to the WB office in Kathmandu and had a meeting but there was no productive result came out. After the meeting, the land acquisition notice was withdrawn and it was re-published recently. Then the Community filed a complaint with the help of LAHURNIP.
The complaint is published on the web page of the Inspection Penal and it is under the consideration for further process as per the jurisdiction and procedure of the Inspection Penal.
