Tanahun, October 29
Development projects operating or under construction in Tanahun have been permitted to use a total of 718.58 hectares of forest land for hydropower projects, electricity transmission lines, a cable car, a resort and other infrastructure.
According to the Division Forest Office, the Tanahun Hydropower Project has received permission to use the largest area, covering 417.34 hectares.
Similarly, the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal) has been permitted to use 142.66 hectares for a 400 kV transmission line, while the Tanahun Hydropower Project’s 220 kV transmission line has been allocated 92.73 hectares.
Other projects include the Madhya Marsyangdi-Dumre-Damauli 132 kV transmission line, the Udipur-New Bharatpur 220 kV transmission line and the Kerabari-New Marsyangdi 132 kV transmission line.
Division Forest Office chief Manoj Ranabhat said projects using forest land must comply with applicable conditions, including paying revenue, providing replacement land and planting trees as compensation.
Some projects have already provided replacement land and are carrying out compensatory plantation, while others pay annual fees and royalties. Tree marking and felling are also underway at several project sites.
Tourism and other hydropower projects have also been permitted to use forest land. These include the Bandipur Cable Car, Bandipur Mountain Resort, Barahi Quarries Pvt. Ltd. and Setikhola Hydropower Project.
The office has also forwarded a proposal to use 13.68 hectares for the Kaligandaki Hydropower Project to the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation.
The increasing use of forest land reflects the need for infrastructure expansion, particularly hydropower generation and transmission networks.
—RSS
