27 October 2021
A dialogue between EIB representatives and Indigenous and local communities of Lamjung district is going to be held on 28 October 2021. The communities are affected by the 220 kV EIB- financed Marsyangdi Corridor transmission line project. The bank has provided €95 million (US$110 million) to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the implementation of this project which is a part of a broader investment in the Nepalese hydropower sector,
The project has violated the Indigenous Peoples' rights to Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), EIB’s own social and environmental safeguards and the finance contract between the EIB and NEA including existing Nepali laws and policies.
The investigation report of the Complaint Mechanism of the Bank that was released in April 2021 has recommended that the EIB must take urgent steps to uphold FIPC in its funding of the hydropower sector. Affected communities have been demanding to suspend the project and recognize the FPIC for the past 4 years.
LAHURNIP, Accountability Counsel and Indigenous Media Foundation, who are providing legal and technical support to the affected communities, have released a video called 'Transmission Tragedy' on 27 October 2021 that describes the grievances of the affected communities.
Please, watch the video to get more
