Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The government has permitted four hydropower projects to use national forest land.
A cabinet meeting held on Monday took the decision, according to Government Spokesperson and Minister for Home Affairs Om Prakash Aryal.
The projects include the 21MW Sutikhola Hydropower Project in Manang, the 99 MW Tamakoshi V Hydropower Project in Dolakha, the 40 MW Upper Sankhuwa Khola Hydropower Project in Sankhuwasabha, and the 22 MW Seti Khola Hydropower Project in Kaski.
According to officials, the Sutikhola project lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area, Tamakoshi V falls inside the Gaurishankar Conservation Area, and the Upper Sankhuwasabha project is located in the Makalu Barun National Park.
The decision comes months after the government amended several laws to allow national priority projects, national pride projects, and projects approved by the Office of the Investment Board Nepal inside protected areas and government forest land. However, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court had later annulled those amendments.
