Lamjung, june 3 — A bailey bridge has been installed across the Marsyangdi River, providing vital access to the rural municipality center of Bhulbhule. After crossing the bridge, the administrative center can be reached through a tunnel. The area, formerly known as Bhulbhule VDC and previously without motor road access, is now the hub of the rural municipality. Today, all the villages within Bhulbhule are linked by an extensive network of motorable roads.
Prior to 2013, there were no local government units such as municipalities or rural municipalities. Before their establishment, Bhulbhule VDC had no motor road connectivity. On one bank of the Marsyangdi River runs the Dumre–Besisahar–Chame highway, while the villages of Bhulbhule lie on the opposite side. Today, these villages have flourished and become vibrant communities. The bailey bridge spanning the Marsyangdi River and the adjoining tunnel have become critical infrastructure connecting these villages to the broader road network.
The construction of a five-kilometer road from Bhulbhule to Ngadi has expanded the local marketplace. Improved road connectivity has eased transportation and opened markets for local products. Remote villages like Bhusme, Chhinkhola, and Ludi now enjoy road access. Vehicles regularly travel to Bahundanda, Naiche, and Dahre through Bhulbhule and Ngadi. Such rapid development of these areas would not have been achievable relying solely on government funding. Even if state-funded, development would have been considerably delayed. The pace of regional growth accelerated significantly after the construction of the 50-megawatt Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’ Hydropower Project began in 2013.
“If the hydropower project hadn’t come here, our region would have fallen far behind in development,” said Constituent Assembly member Jamindraman Ghale, a resident of Ustani, Marsyangdi-7. “Following the Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’ Hydropower Project, motor roads reached the villages, a bailey bridge was constructed over the Marsyangdi River, and a tunnel was carved through the cliffs. Numerous schools, community buildings, rest houses, and shelters were built. The overall landscape of the village has been completely transformed.”
Ghale noted that the Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’ Hydropower Project has contributed to roads, community buildings, schools, and other infrastructure as part of its corporate social responsibility. Besides physical development, local residents have gained employment suited to their skills. Landowners at project sites also received fair compensation. “While the project generated national revenue through electricity production, it simultaneously fostered local development and created job opportunities,” Ghale added.
The project constructed a 340-meter tunnel for local use, which has not only eased travel but also boosted tourism. “This is the first tunnel road of its kind in the country and has become an additional attraction for domestic tourists on the Annapurna trekking route,” said Arjun Gurung, Chairperson of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality. “Without this project, constructing such a tunnel and road would have been impossible. Travel has become much more convenient, and the tunnel has drawn tourist interest.”
Construction of the Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’ Hydropower Project began in January 2013, with commercial electricity production starting in January 2017. The project was developed at a cost of 16 billion rupees, with 90% investment from the Chinese multinational Sino hydro and 10% from Nepal’s Chitwan Coe Group (Sagarmatha Hydropower Company). The project now produces electricity consistently and feeds into the national grid.
During construction, hundreds of local people found employment, and locally produced goods accessed new markets. The project’s social initiatives have continued beyond the construction phase. “We rarely see projects maintaining support for local development after completion,” said Nandaraj Tamang, Chairperson of the Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’ Hydropower Project Concern and Support Committee. “This project remains actively involved in local development.”
Tamang explained that the project allocates 3 million rupees annually through the Concern Committee for development activities in affected areas, and provides 1.2 million rupees yearly for committee administrative expenses. “We generally dedicate half of the administrative budget toward development projects,” he said. “These funds have been instrumental in building roads, schools, community centers, and other village infrastructure.”
Karna Adhikari, Public Relations Officer of the project, shared that efforts are ongoing for environmental conservation, riverbank erosion control along the Marsyangdi River, and road construction. Two crore rupees are earmarked for blacktopping the five-kilometer road from the tunnel to Ngadi. “Floods have damaged roads and hydropower structures along the Marsyangdi. We are investing millions in repairs,” Adhikari noted. “The project continues to be a vital partner in the region’s development.”
The electricity generated by this hydropower project has contributed not only to the national economy but also to local economic and social prosperity. Jit Bahadur Gurung, former chairperson of the project’s Concern and Support Committee, emphasized that the project’s construction supported the development of Marsyangdi Rural Municipality. “If many similar projects are implemented, the nation’s capital development can be significantly enhanced,” he said.
According to Dayaram Dahal, an interpreter at Sino Hydro Sagarmatha Power Company, the electricity generated from the project is connected to the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Damauli transmission line. The project generates 57 million units during the dry season (Dec to April) and 266 million units during the rainy season, totaling approximately 318 million units annually.
This run-of-river project, with its 5.2-kilometer tunnel, also built its own 20-kilometer-long 125 kV transmission line. The Nepal Electricity Authority provided the land for transmission line construction, costing around 250 million rupees, while Sino hydropower managed the logistics.
Had Sino Hydro Sagarmatha not constructed the transmission line, electricity from Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’—scheduled for commercial operation by late 2015 would have gone unused. The Nepal Electricity Authority would have had to pay Sino Hydro Sagarmatha approximately 150 million rupees per month in compensation. By completing the transmission line, Sino Hydro Sagarmatha helped the Authority avoid these costs and ensured electricity production was not wasted.
Currently, Marsyangdi Rural Municipality benefits from electricity generated by the 50-megawatt Upper Marsyangdi ‘A’, 30-megawatt Ngadi Hydropower, 5-megawatt Siuri, 4.4-megawatt Radhi, 4-megawatt Khudi, and 1-megawatt Syange Hydropower projects. New hydropower plants, including the 26-megawatt Upper Khudi, Ngadikhola, and Hyangdikhola, are under construction. The social responsibility initiatives of these projects continue to support village development.
Source: Gorkhapatra
