Fwd: Indigenous Tamangs and local communities affected by Tamakoshi-Kathmandu Transmission Line file complaint to ADB’s Compliance Review Panel | तामाकोशी-काठमाडौं प्रसारण लाइनबाट प्रभावित आदिवासी तामाङ तथा स्थानीय समुदायद्वारा एडीबीको अनुपालन समीक्षा प्यानलमा उजुरी

[Prabindra Shakya]

Dear all, fyi, see below an update about Indigenous Tamang and local communities in the northeast of Kathmandu filing a complaint with the Compliance Review Panel (CRP) of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Accountability Mechanism demanding relocation of the ADB-financed Tamakoshi–Kathmandu 220/400 kV Transmission Line and its substation in Bojheni being forcefully constructed on their lands. See https://cemsoj.net/2025/08/22/indigenous-tamangs-and-local-communities-affected-by-tamakoshi-kathmandu-transmission-line-file-complaint-to-adbs-compliance-review-panel/ 

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From: CEMSOJ <cem...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Aug 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Subject: Indigenous Tamang and local communities affected by Tamakoshi-Kathmandu Transmission Line file complaint to ADB’s Compliance Review Panel | तामाकोशी-काठमाडौं प्रसारण लाइनबाट प्रभावित आदिवासी तामाङ तथा स्थानीय समुदायद्वारा एडीबीको अनुपालन समीक्षा प्यानलमा उजुरी
To: CEMSOJ <cem...@gmail.com>

नेपाली भाषाको लागि तल हेर्नुहोस्!! 

Indigenous Tamang and local communities affected by Tamakoshi-Kathmandu Transmission Line file complaint to ADB’s Compliance Review Panel

Posted on August 22, 2025 by cemsoj

22 August 2025

Indigenous Tamang and local communities of Bojheni in Shankharapur municipality in the northeast of Kathmandu filed a complaint today with the Compliance Review Panel (CRP) of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Accountability Mechanism. In the complaint, they have requested the CRP to focus on ensuring ADB’s Safeguards policy and procedural compliance in relation to their demands of relocation of the Tamakoshi–Kathmandu 220/400 kV Transmission Line and its substation in Bojheni being forcefully constructed on their lands.

The transmission line is being built as the part of the Electricity Transmission Expansion and Supply Improvement Project and the substation under the Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project under the ADB project. Both the projects are being implemented by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the State owned sole utility provider in Nepal. The Transmission Line and substation in Bojheni will also be connected to the substation further south in Kathmandu in Changu Narayan through a 132 kV transmission line under the ADB-funded projects. Further, it will be extended through another high voltage transmission line to a substation to the west in Ratmate in Nuwakot district, which is planned under the US funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The communities are thus concerned that there will be a web of transmission lines on their lands.

As per the complaint submitted by the communities organized under the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project Affected Struggle Committee, the substation and the transmission towers/lines in Bojheni are being built in the middle of a settlement with the lines running over their houses, lands and religious and cultural sites. That will significantly affect or harm the communities’ livelihoods dependent on agriculture and tourism as well as the wider environment, and even cause insecurity to their health and lives, which will eventually displace them from their ancestral lands and settlement. Despite their repeated submission of complaints to the concerned authorities, including the NEA, and their continued engagement with the ADB and the NEA, their demands remain unaddressed.

On the contrary, the NEA forcibly proceeded with the construction of the substation and the transmission towers/lines with the use of heavy police forces while maintaining that the substation cannot be relocated and the transmission lines cannot be realigned. The communities’ members, including women and elderly, have been severely beaten by the personnel of the Armed Police Force (APF) that have constructed camps for the construction of the project. When the communities protested the project works using police forces, many members were arrested and some of them are still facing false charges. The ADB has failed to push the NEA to stop the use of police forces even despite the repeated meetings of the communities with the ADB representatives while the ongoing construction works have already led to landfalls that have impacted ourlands and houses, filling up of a sacred pond as well as change in flow of a local sacred stream that have caused inundation of our farmlands.

In the complaint, the communities have claimed that the NEA has failed to obtain the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the communities for the construction of the substation and the transmission towers/lines in breach of international human rights obligations of Nepal under the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the fundamental rights guaranteed in its own constitution as well as the ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement 2009 applicable to the projects. They have thus urged that the compliance review function focuses on ensuring policy and procedural compliance in relation to their demands of relocation of the substation and the transmission towers/lines, including to recommend remedial changes in the scope or implementation of the projects.

Further, while the compliance review is undertaken, they have called on the ADB and the CRP to get the NEA to stop retaliations against the affected community members, including withdrawal of the false charges against some of them, and cease use of the police forces, including removal of the APF camps from their community, to forcibly proceed with the construction. For that, they have demanded that the ADB suspend its financing for the projects at least until the compliance review is completed and their grievances are resolved.

The complaint follows an earlier complaint of the communities to the Office of the Special Project Facilitator (OSPF) submitted on 4 February 2025. While the OSPF is undertaking its review and assessment of the complaint, the efforts with the OSPF’s problem-solving process have not been successful and the core demands of the communities related to the relocation of the substation and the transmission towers/lines remain unresolved.

🔗: https://cemsoj.net/2025/08/22/indigenous-tamangs-and-local-communities-affected-by-tamakoshi-kathmandu-transmission-line-file-complaint-to-adbs-compliance-review-panel/ 

तामाकोशी-काठमाडौं प्रसारण लाइनबाट प्रभावित आदिवासी तामाङ तथा स्थानीय समुदायद्वारा एडीबीको अनुपालन समीक्षा प्यानलमा उजुरी

Posted on August 22, 2025 by cemsoj

काठमाडौंको उत्तरपूर्वमा अवस्थित शङ्खरापुर नगरपालिकाको बोझेनीका आदिवासी तामाङ र स्थानीय समुदायले आज एसियाली विकास बैंक (एडीबी) को जवाफदेहिता संयन्त्रको अनुपालन समीक्षा प्यानल (सीआरपी) मा उजुरी दर्ता गरेका छन्। उजुरीमा उनीहरूले बोझेनीमा निर्माणाधीन तामाकोशी-काठमाडौं २२०/४०० केभी प्रसारण लाइन र यसको सवस्टेसन स्थानान्तरण हुनुपर्ने उनीहरुको मागको सम्बन्धमा एडीबीको सुरक्षण नीति र कार्यविधि पालना भएको सुनिश्चित गर्न सीआरपीलाई अनुरोध गरेका छन्।

उक्त प्रसारण लाइन Electricity Transmission Expansion and Supply Improvement Project (“ETESIP”, एडिबीको आयोजना नं ४११५५–०१३) अन्तर्गत निर्माण भइरहेको हो भने Power Transmission and Distribution Efficiency Enhancement Project (“PTDEEP”, एडिबीको आयोजना नं ५००५९–००२) अन्तर्गत निर्माण भइरहेको हो । ती दुवै आयोजना नेपाल सरकार मातहतको सेवा प्रदायक नेपाल विद्युत प्राधिकरणबाट कार्यान्वयन भइरहेका छन् । उक्त प्रसारण लाइन र बोझेनीको सवस्टेसन एडिबीकै आयोजना अन्तर्गत काठमाडौंको दक्षिणमा पर्ने चांगुनारायणमा बनाइने अर्को सवस्टेसनसँग १३२ केभी प्रसारण लाइनमार्फत जोडिनेछ । बोझेनीको सवस्टेसनबाट अमेरिकी सरकारको अनुदान सहयोगको मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कोर्परेशन (एमसीसी) अन्तर्गत निर्माण हुने अर्को उच्च भोल्टेजको प्रसारण लाइन पश्चिममा नुवाकोट जिल्लामा पर्ने रातमाटे सवस्टेसनसम्म पनि विस्तारित हुनेछ । यसरी बोझेनीमा प्रसारण लाइनको जालो नै बन्ने प्रभावित समुदायको गुनासो रहेको छ।  

प्रभावित समुदायले माथिल्लो तामाकोशी जलविद्युत आयोजना प्रभावित संघर्ष समितिमार्फत पेश गरिएको उजुरीमा बस्तीको बीचमा निर्माणाधीन उक्त सवस्टेसन र प्रसारण लाइन/टावर तथा स्थानीयका घर, जमिन तथा धार्मिक तथा सांस्कृतिक स्थलहरु माथिबाट जाने प्रसारण लाइनका कारण कृषि र पर्यटनमा आधारित समुदायका जिविका तथा समग्र वातावरणमा नकारात्मक असर वा हानी हुने, तिनको स्वास्थ्य र जीवनमा असुरक्षा हुने र त्यसले गर्दा अन्ततः समुदाय आफ्नो पुख्र्यौली थातथलो र बासस्थानबाट विस्थापित हुनुपर्ने भनिएको छ। प्रभावित समुदायले नेपाल विद्युत प्राधिकरण लगायत सम्बन्धित निकायहरुमा बारम्बार उजुरी गरी विद्युत प्राधिकरण र एडीबीसँग निरन्तर प्रयास गरे तापनि तिनकामागहरू अझै पनि सम्बोधन भएका छैनन्। 

समुदायको विरोधका बावजुद विद्युत प्राधिकरणले सवस्टेसन र प्रसारण लाइन/टावर स्थानान्तरण गर्न नसकिने भन्दै सशस्त्र प्रहरीका क्याम्प नै राखी भारी प्रहरी फौज प्रयोग गरी बलपूर्वक निर्माण कार्य अघि बढाएको छ। त्यस क्रममा सशस्त्र प्रहरीबाट महिला र वयस्कलगायत प्रभावित समुदायका सदस्यहरुलाई नराम्रोसंग कुटपिट गरिएको छ। विरोधको क्रममा समुदायका धेरै सदस्यहरूलाई प्रहरीले पक्राउ समेत गरेको थियो भने तीमध्ये केही अझै पनि झूटा मुद्दाहरू खेपिरहेका छन्। एडीबीका प्रतिनिधिहरूसँग प्रभावित समुदायले बारम्बार अनुरोध गर्दा पनि विद्युत प्राधिकरणलाई बल प्रयोग गर्न रोक्न एडीबीले सकेको छैन। अर्कोतर्फ़ विरोधका बीच भइरहेको निर्माण कार्यका कारण गएको पहिरोले समुदायका जग्गा र घरमा क्षति पुगेको छ, एउटा धार्मिक पोखरी पुरिएको छ र  खोलाको वाहबमा परिवर्तन आएर तिनको खेतीयोग्य जमिन डुबानमा परेको छ।

उजुरीमा प्रभावित समुदायले विद्युत प्राधिकरणले सबस्टेशन र ट्रान्समिसन टावर/लाइन निर्माणको लागि समुदायको स्वतन्त्र, पूर्व र जानकारी सहितको मन्जुरी नलिएको र त्यसले गर्दा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय श्रम संगठन (आइएलो) को महासन्धि १६९ र आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकार सम्बन्धी संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघीय घोषणापत्र (युएनड्रिप) अन्तर्गत नेपालका अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मानव अधिकार सम्बन्धि दायित्व र संविधानमा ग्यारेन्टी गरिएका मौलिक हकअधिकारका साथै एडीबीले सहयोग गर्ने आयोजनामा लागू हुनुपर्ने एडीबीका सुरक्षण नीति  पनि उल्लङ्घन भएको दावी गरेका छन्। अत: उनीहरूले अनुपालन समीक्षा प्यानललाई सबस्टेशन र प्रसारण टावर/लाइनहरूको स्थानान्तरण हुनुपर्ने  तिनको मागको सम्बन्धमा सम्बन्धित आयोजनाहरूको दायरा वा कार्यान्वयनमा उपचारात्मक परिवर्तनहरू सिफारिस गर्ने गरी एडीबीको नीति र कार्यविधि पालना भएको सुनिश्चित गर्न आग्रह गरेका छन्।

यसबाहेक, अनुपालन समीक्षा हुदै गर्दा विद्युत प्राधिकरणलाई समुदायका सदस्यहरूलाई लगाइएका झूटा मुद्दाहरू फिर्ता लिन र तिनीहरु विरुद्धको प्रतिशोध रोक्न तथा सशस्त्र प्रहरीका क्याम्प हटाउन र बल प्रयोग गरी भइरहेको निर्माण कार्य रोक्न लगाउन प्रभावित समुदायले एडीबी र सीआरपीलाई आग्रह गरेका छन्। त्यसका लागि, उनीहरूले एडीबीलाई कम्तिमा अनुपालन समीक्षा पूरा नभएसम्म र उनीहरूको गुनासो समाधान नभएसम्म आयोजनाको लगानी रोक्न माग गरेका छन्।

यो उजुरी प्रभावित समुदायले एडीबीको विशेष परियोजना सहजकर्ताको कार्यालय (ओएसपीएफ) मा सन् २०२५ फेब्रुअरी ४ तारिखमा बुझाएको उजुरी अन्तर्गत समस्या समाधान प्रक्रियाको क्रममा गरिएका प्रयासहरूबाट बोझेनीको सबस्टेशन र प्रसारण टावर/लाइनहरूको स्थानान्तरण हुनुपर्ने समुदायका मुख्य मागहरू सम्बोधन हुन नसकेकोले सीआरपीलाई पेश गरिएको हो।

🔗: https://cemsoj.net/2025/08/22/%e0%a4%a4%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%8b%e0%a4%b6%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a0%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a1%e0%a5%8c%e0%a4%82-%e0%a4%aa%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%be-2/

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Prabindra Shakya

Founder/Director, Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ), www.cemsoj.net

Convenor, Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE), www.aipnee.org