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RoW (right-of-way) acquisition delays
What it is
Transmission lines need a corridor across land held by many owners, and each objection can halt construction. Right-of-way acquisition is the most common cause of transmission project delay in India
Compensation norms, forest clearances and local objections compound the problem
Impact on industries
- The single largest execution risk in transmission, and largely outside the developer's control since it depends on landowners and district administration
- Delays cascade into the generation queue - renewable projects sit idle waiting for evacuation that RoW disputes have stalled
- Drives adoption of compact solutions - gas-insulated substations, high-capacity conductors, underground cabling and monopole designs that need narrower corridors
- Cost of these alternatives is higher, so RoW difficulty raises project cost even where it does not stop the project outright