Ministry of Energy and Nepal Electricity Authority have directed the concerned project officers to expedite the progress in102 MW middle Bhotekosi project
After the successful completion of Chameliya Project in far western region, Nepal Electricity Authority is working to complete other projects, currently under construction. Just last week, Secretary of Energy Anup Kumar Upadhyaya and Managing Director Kul Man Ghising inspected the Middle Bhotekosi Hydro Power Project site.
As the pace of 102 MW Middle Bhotekosi hydropower project is going on at a snail’s pace, the visit of secretary Upadhyaya and NEA managing director Kul Man Ghising is significant. As Nepal is in desperate need of electricity, they jointly directed the personnel to complete the project in two years.
Close to Kathmandu load center, Middle Bhotekosi will help increase the power supply in Kathmandu Valley. Situated in Sindhupalchwok district, 100 kilometers east of capital Kathmandu, the project is constructed by Chilme under finance from Employment Provident Fund, public, local people and NEA.
Secretary Upadhyaya and Managing director Ghising directed the concerned officials, contractors, and consultants to prepare the working plan to complete the project within two years. After completing the inspection visit, they directed project management, civil contractor Quang Xi Hydro and Electrical Construction and Yendri Hydro and consultant Lohmeyer to work with close coordination to complete the project in two years.
Even as its construction started to complete by 2017 June, the project has made very negligible, forty percent, progress. The project is delayed because of Jure landslide, earthquake and delay in land acquisition for dam site and contractors’ failure to work properly. The target for completion of a project is now rescheduled for 2019 June. However, the routine is yet to be finalized. Energy secretary and chairman of NEA said that the contractor has failed to achieve the progress in construction as per the agreement. He also directed the contractor to increase the number of human resources in the construction. He said that the ministry has repeatedly directed NEA and project to solve the cash flow to the contractor; the project should be completed as per the schedule at any cost. At present, the work is in progress in dam site, tunnel, and power plant. The construction of dam site has already begun and the earthwork in power plant has already completed. Out of 7.1 long kilometers tunnel, three kilometers of work has already completed. Some electromechanical equipment necessary for power plant has already arrived. “Although the work is going on now in all sectors, the project is unable to make progress as expected,” said MD Ghising. “The progress is unsatisfactory as four years have already passed since the construction. The project needs to complete in another two years at any cost. I would like to request you to unify work routine and carry out the work simultaneously.
“We will permit those who delay the project,” said MD Ghising. He also suggested concentrating efforts on the dam and storing the construction materials. He also directed project officials to sort out the crisis of cash flow faced by contractors immediately.
Initiated during the period when Ghising was managing director of Chilme project, constructed under the lead by Chilime Project, Employment Provident Fund is the main financier of the project.
With a total cost of 12.28 billion rupees, stakeholders are NEA, four investment companies, Employment Provident Fund, the depositor of the fund, and local residents of Sindhupalchwok district. The project will generate 542 million units of electricity annually and it will make 2.90 billion rupees revenue annually.
Source: Spotlight
