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Charang and Chaile of Mustang are to get a 33kV substation soon. At an initiative of Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality of Mustang, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has initiated the process of constructing two 33 kV electricity substations in Charang and Chaile in Upper Mustang.

The NEA has prioritized the construction of a 33 kV electricity substation in order to solve the severe electrical problems faced by Mustang and to provide reliable power to the Korala border, which borders northern China, and its physical and technical management work has been underway.

The NEA had invited bids for the construction of 33 kV substations in Charang and Chaile in the previous fiscal year. Lopsang Chomphel Bista, chairperson of the rural municipality informed that the final decision on the substation contract called for by the Authority will be made by February. “The work on the extension of the power line has now reached the final stage. It will be decided soon which company will get the substation,” he said. “As soon as the contract is finalized, the construction of the substation will begin.”

As the substation contract process reaches the final stage, an on-site inspection of the site where the 33 kV electricity substation will be built in Charang and Chaile of Mustang has been conducted. According to chairperson Bista, the site for the 33 kV substation was selected two years ago. He claimed that the long-standing electricity problem faced by Mustang district will end forever after the construction of the 33 kV substation along with the expansion of the 33 kV transmission line.

Mustang has an 11 kV transmission line in operation. Due to this, there have been extreme problems in electricity supply time and again. Although the NEA has a 33 kV transmission line in Kowang, the lack of a 33 kV substation in the area above it used to cause a lot of trouble in electricity supply. When there was a technical problem with electricity in any place in Mustang, the entire district would be in darkness. Chairperson Bista said that if the NEA completed the construction of the 33 kV line and substation, such problems would not have to be faced, he said. The distance of the 33 kV substation is 50 km. The NEA has made preparations to place two substations at a distance of 103 km from Kowang to Charang. For this, the NEA had called for electricity substation contracts in October of fiscal year 2023.

Similarly, a contract for the construction of a 33 kV electricity substation in Upper Mustang was called for on 6 July 2023. The authority had signed a contract agreement with Paradise Builders to complete the work of expanding electricity poles and other works within two years at a cost of Rs 276.5m and the work has been started.

Santosh Pyakurel, electrical engineer of the company, informed that the work of 33 kV electricity transmission in Mustang has been completed and the work of pulling wires has begun. According to him, out of a total of 2,265 poles to be expanded, 1,800 poles have been expanded.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 69. 80 points to close at 2, 727. 58 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 13. 64 points to close at 458. 37 points.

A total of 24,848,079-unit shares of 330 companies were traded for Rs 12. 95 billion.

Meanwhile, Unnati Sahakarya Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (USLB), Global IME Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. (GILB), Aviyan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (AVYAN), Vijaya laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. (VLBS) and Bhugol Energy Development Company Limited (BEDC) were the top gainers today, with their price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Samudayik Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SLBSL) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 52 trillion.

The gold is being traded at Rs 162, 800 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,910 per tola today.  

Nepal has raised the issue of new air routes with India yet again.

During a recent meeting with the visiting Ministry of External Affairs Additional Secretary, Munu Mahawar, in Kathmandu, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Azu Rana Deuba raised the issue of new air routes that Nepal has been demanding for a long time. 

Nepal has been in discussions with India for over a decade regarding new air entry routes. The government has been negotiating with the Indian government to utilize the airspace of Bhairahawa, Mahendranagar, Nepalgunj and Janakpur for air route access. However, Nepal has not yet secured air routes from these locations.

Gyanendra Bhul, the information officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), said that Nepal has presented all proposals to India regarding new routes. “Nepal has raised the issue of new air routes in all bilateral meetings - from the Prime Minister level to the ministerial level. While Nepal has presented its case, the Indian side has not yet reached a decision,” he added.

Due to India’s inability to provide a conclusive decision on new routes, the government’s plan to bring aircraft into Nepal using the airspace of Bhairahawa, Mahendranagar, Nepalgunj and Janakpur has been stalled.

Nepal had formally requested India to allow air access through Janakpur, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Mahendranagar during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kathmandu in 2014. In May 2023, talks were held in New Delhi between officials from Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and the Airports Authority of India, but no conclusion was reached.

According to CAAN, if India provides new air entry routes as requested by Nepal, it would save flight costs and time, and also resolve the issue of air traffic congestion. Currently, 90 percent of international flights enter Nepal through Simara, while flights from China enter through the Makalu region in Sankhuwasabha district and flights from Bhutan enter through Mechi. The air routes for exiting Nepal include Simara, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Mahendranagar and Bhairahawa.

Nepal has been facing several challenges such as air traffic congestion, disrupted flight schedules, and the need to hold aircraft in the air for extended periods due to the reliance on a single route. CAAN has been saying that if additional routes are made available, managing air traffic would become easier. If India agrees to at least allow the Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj routes, the distance for flights entering Nepal would be significantly reduced, CAAN officials say.

Currently, aircraft coming to Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa from Gulf countries enter the Nepali airspace from Simara and fly westward to Bhairahawa as they are not allowed to enter the country from the west. Experts say new international airports in Bhairahawa and Pokhara will be unfeasible if aircraft are not allowed to enter from the west.