Locals protested that the government had given permission to generate electricity in Varun River, a religious site in Bhaetkhaela Rural Municipality-4.

Uttarkumar Rai, coordinator of the Varun Dham Protection Citizens' Committee, said that under no circumstances will electricity be allowed to be generated in the Varun River flowing from Shivdhara.

'Annually, about 30,000 religious tourists visit Varun to bathe and worship. It is not possible to generate electricity from here as the cultural heritage will be damaged and the protected area will be destroyed,' he said at a press conference held in Khandbari on Friday.

This place is in the Makalu Varun National Park area . Empic Energy Pvt Ltd has taken permission to generate electricity in Varuna. The target is to produce 132 MW of electricity from here.

Even the rural municipality has informed the Electricity Authority and Sankhuwasabha MPs on June 31, 2080, not to draw electricity from here.