Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment has approved the environmental impact assessments (EIAs) of 26 projects in the past year.
According to the ministry, 32 projects were designated for EIAs in the fiscal year 2082/83, and 26 EIAs and six supplementary EIAs were approved during this period.
Additionally, nine revised environmental management plans were approved, and seven projects were given consent for revising their environmental management plans. Fifteen projects received approval for supplementary studies, five projects had their deadlines extended, and six projects were penalized.
Hydropower Projects Dominate Approved EIAs
Most of the approved EIAs are for hydropower projects, including the 90-megawatt Marsyangdi reservoir-based hydropower project and the 270-megawatt Bheri-1 reservoir-based hydropower project.
Other approved hydropower projects include the 341-megawatt Budhi Gandaki hydropower project, the 91.15-megawatt Budhi Gandaki river hydropower project, and the 35-megawatt Upper Apshukhola hydropower project.
The ministry also approved EIAs for the 88-megawatt Rolwaling, 30-megawatt Upper Duhkhola hydropower project, and the 34.39-megawatt Super Budhi Gandaki hydropower project.
Supplementary EIAs and Revised Environmental Management Plans
Most of the supplementary EIAs approved are also for hydropower projects, including the Sankhuwa Khola, Simbuwa Khola, and Manang Marsyangdi hydropower projects.
The revised environmental management plans approved include those for the Super Tamor, Upper Balephi, Tinau Khola, Rolwaling Khola, Balephi Khola, and Kaligandaki Gorge hydropower projects.
The ministry also approved revised environmental management plans for the Lapsiphedi-Ratamate, Ratamate-New Hetauda, Ratamate-New Dumauli, New Dumauli-New Butwal, and New Butwal-Nepal-India border 400 kV double circuit transmission lines, as well as the Ratamate, New Dumauli, and New Butwal 400 kV substations.
These transmission lines and substations are being constructed under the US-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)-Nepal project.
The ministry also approved the revised environmental management plan for the 201-megawatt Upper Marsyangdi hydropower project.
Consent for Revising Environmental Management Plans
Most of the projects given consent for revising their environmental management plans are also hydropower projects, including the Rolwaling Khola, Kalika Kaligandaki, Tamor Khola-5, Kaligandaki Gorge, and Middle Tadi Khola hydropower projects.
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