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India has endorsed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to purchase electricity from Nepal.

Under this agreement, India has agreed to import 10,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Nepal in the next ten years.

According to Nepal's ambassador to India, Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma, the federal Council of Ministers of India formally endorsed the agreement on the power trade with Nepal and India shared information about this through social media X (twitter).

He said the decision would contribute to accelerating Nepal's economic development and restructuring efforts.

The MoU was initially signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's latest visit to India (May 31-June 3, 2023) and at the time the Prime Minister termed the moment historic. Energy secretaries from both countries signed and exchanged the document.

Following India's latest decision to endorse the agreement, the energy secretaries from both neighboring countries will participate in a special ceremony to formally resign it.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Hydro Resources and Irrigation and Spokesperson for the Ministry, Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal said they were unofficially informed about the official decision of the Indian government to endorse the agreement and expect to receive an official confirmation regarding the decision.

With the decision, the door to export the electricity produced in the Indian market in an easy and smooth manner has been opened.

Nepal had been urging for power export in the Indian market in short-term, mid-term and long-term. 

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been exporting 452 megawatt electricity in the Indian Energy market on a daily basis. 

Nepal and India had signed a power trade agreement in 2014. The Indian Company, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, is constructing a 900-megawatt Arun III hydropower project. Although the Indian company, GandhI Mallikarjun Rao, has been said to construct a 900-megawatt Upper Karnali hydropower project, it has not been started yet.

Similarly, Indian companies have forwarded necessary processes for the construction of different projects including Lower Arun, West Seti and SR-6.

An agreement has been reached between Nepal and India to construct some projects after preparing joint investment.

Nepal has been making preparations to export 40-megawatt electricity in Bangladesh soon.

The private sector has been demanding the government to grant permission for power trade. The proposed new electricity bill has made this arrangement.

The Cabinet meeting held on August 29 had given permission to the Energy Ministry to table the electricity bill in the Federal Parliament.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a discussion with representatives of the concerned authorities regarding the effective management of the waste of Kathmandu Valley.

During the meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar today, he held a discussion on management of waste generated in Kathmandu Valley, long-term solution of the waste management and the steps the government needed to take in this connection.

The participants put their views on various aspects of waste management in the long run.

Issues such as the management of waste at Bancharedanda, the demands raised by the affected locals and procurement of land for the construction of the dumping site were also in the discussion.

A high-level mechanism along with legal provisions is required for this purpose, it is said.

In the meeting, PM Dahal said that the upcoming meeting of the Council of Ministers will make a concrete decision giving the responsibility of waste management and its coordination throughout the country to the Ministry of Urban Development.

Emphasizing that waste management is the shared responsibility of the federal, provincial and local governments, he said a long-term mechanism will be formed for the sustainable management of waste.

Minister for Urban Development Sita Gurung, Chief Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal, Secretaries at the PM Office Ek Narayan Aryal and Maniram Gelal, Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development Rabindra Man Shrestha, Executive Director of Investment Board Nepal Sushil Bhatta, Chief Administrative Officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Basanta Adhikari, Lalitpur Metropolitan City's chief administrative officer Birendra Dev Bharati, among other officials were present on the occasion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that the government has prioritized the rebuilding of flood-damaged Kagbeni settlement in Mustang.

During his inspection to the flood-ravaged Kagbeni settlement at Varagung Muktichhetrai Rural Municipality-4 in Mustang today, the Deputy Prime minister pledged to undertake the reconstruction efforts targeting the village with high priority.   The settlement experienced significant damages from the flooded Kaagkhola stream on August 13.

Moreover, according to the Minister, the government will seek ways to minimize risks from the water-induced depositions on the bank of Kaligandaki River.

He said that the matter about operating the Korola checkpoint along the Nepal-China border will be an agenda of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's upcoming visit to the northern neighbor.

In addition to this, the government is working on possibilities to ensure uninterrupted transport service along the Beni-Jomsom-Korola road. He also assured of convening the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure including roads, bridges, and drinking water, electricity and irrigation projects promptly.

On the occasion, the Minister had held discussions with the local government, administration and security bodies about the post-disaster situation at Kagbeni.

The flood damaged roadways, motorable bridges, monasteries, temples, community buildings, police posts, hotels and river embankments.

Properties worth over Rs one billion were destroyed in the flood.

Over 50 houses were significantly damaged by the flood, resulting in property losses exceeding Rs 520 million, according to the local government.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and main opposition CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting on Tuesday.

Oli had reached Singha Durbar this morning to meet Prime Minister Dahal.

According to a source, Prime Minister Dahal and UML Chair Oli had held a discussion on the bill to be tabled in the federal Parliament.

It has also been said that they also discussed contemporary political issues in the meeting.