Although the underground cable laying work has been completed in most of the main areas of the Kathmandu Valley, electricity wires are still hanging on the roads.

The Nepal Electricity Authority has stated that the main problem is the inability to connect services to every house due to lack of coordination with the local level.

The wires tangled in the electricity poles have repeatedly caused short circuits and fires, and it has also spoiled the beauty of the capital.

According to Suman Shrestha, head of the Kathmandu Valley East and South Distribution System Strengthening Project , the cable laying work has been completed in most of the areas months ago. ‘Some substations have been tested and charged, but the underground system has not been able to operate due to lack of permission from the local level to connect the service cables,’ he said. Along with the electricity wires, the internet and telephone wires in the valley are unlikely to be removed immediately. A huge investment will be required to put these wires underground.

According to the authority, cable laying work has been completed in the Lainchaur-Jamal, Tripureshwor-Teku, Lainchaur-Pani Pokhari and Sohrakhutte-Teku areas. Work is ongoing in the Chuchepati, Gaushala and airport areas, while work has been completed in Nayabajar, Dhobikhola Corridor, Mahankal, Maharajgunj and Balaju.

Similarly, work has been completed or in the final stage in the Tinkune-Koteshwor, New Baneshwor-Old Baneshwor, Mulpani, Chabahil, Kirtipur-Kuleshwor and Baneshwor-Jorpati areas. Once permission for cable installation is received, the underground system can be put into operation within three months.

The Lalitpur-Bhaktapur Distribution System Strengthening Project has stated that work has been completed on the main roads of Bhaktapur, while work has also been completed in some areas of Lalitpur. Project Chief Dipesh Shrestha said that the remaining work is progressing in coordination with the local level.