Access to electricity for the first time in Susta

For the first time, electricity has reached Susta. The remote area across the Narayani River in Susta Gaonpalika-5 of West Nawalparasi has been made accessible to electricity by constructing a solar mini-grid plant on the well-known Nepali land Susta. The locals are happy after access to electricity.

 

The people of Susta had been living in darkness for years as it was difficult to carry the national transmission line due to the Narayani River. The government has provided electricity through solar plants keeping in mind the problems of the locals living in Tuki. As the construction of the grid has been completed, all that is left is to burn electricity in the houses, said Susta Village Municipality Chairman Ram Prasad Pandey.

 

Wires are now connected to homes to generate electricity. The foundation stone of the solar grid was laid by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun a year ago.

 

The grid constructed at a total cost of Rs 48,092,268 has 60 percent or 288,55,361 grants from the Alternative Energy Promotion Center, while the Terai-Madhes Samridhi Program has an investment of Rs 17.5 million and Susta Village Municipality has an investment of Rs 17.36 million.

 

Village Municipality Chairman Pandey said that preparations have been made to inaugurate the solar grid to make Susta dim before the festival. "It was planned to be inaugurated ten years ago, but the staff of the Center for Alternative Energy Promotion was affected by the coronavirus.

 

As Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has a special interest in the solar grid being constructed here, he is preparing to inaugurate it through virtual media, said Chairman Pandey. The project with a capacity of 100 kg will benefit 266 households in Susta. Mentioning that the people of Susta can now consume electricity from house to house through solar energy and also run small scale industries, Pandey said, "Now it is very comfortable for the people of Susta. The situation of living in darkness is coming to an end."

 

Due to the lack of electricity, the people of Susta were deprived of running their fans in hot weather, snake bites while walking in the dark, and irrigating vegetables and crops.

 

Chairman of the Solar Mini-Grid Construction Committee, Rabindra Jaiswal, said that they have not been able to earn income by running small scale industries due to lack of electricity. "Even in the 21st century, we have been living on fire. Now that electricity has come, we are very excited. Now our lifestyle is changing," he said. He said that it would be easy not only to light electric lights in the houses but also to use electrical appliances including televisions, refrigerators, and fans, to run small water pump motors, and to set up small scale industries that run on electricity.

 

He said that since the electricity generated from solar energy works the same as the electricity distributed through the Electricity Authority, it will be easier to operate boring for agricultural irrigation. Infrastructures including safe housing, road upgrade, suspension bridge, drinking water, and embankment are being constructed in Susta for the last time along with the expansion of electricity. "The government has done well in terms of development. Now we are thinking of generating income by running small scale industries," Jaiswal said.

 

Along with access to electricity, agricultural production is also expected to increase here. Due to the lack of a bridge over the Narayani River, the people of Sustavasi are forced to take risky journeys by boat. Currently, a suspension bridge is being constructed on the Narayani River in Susta to allow people to travel from their own country. The construction of the bridge will be completed within a year and a half and then the electricity generated from the solar mini-grid will be connected to the national transmission line, said Pandey.

 

He said that the construction of the bridge has been expedited for the people of Susta to move freely. It is said that the people of Susta, who have been feeling neglected by the government in the past, have started to feel that the government is strengthening its presence in Susta for the last time.

 

Sustavasi said that if the issue of border dispute was resolved by the government with priority, the encroachment and unnecessary pressure from the Indian side would be relieved from time to time.

 

According to Jaiswal, who is also the spokesperson of the Susta Rescue Campaign, there are 3,133 people living in Susta. Settlement in Susta started from 2022 BS. As per the Sugauli Treaty, out of the total area of ​​40,980 hectares of Susta, India has encroached on 14,500 hectares. About 19,480 hectares of land are in dispute while the remaining 7,000 hectares are being used by the people of Susta.

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