MYAGDI, JAN 31 –
Political parties and locals in coordination with the Myagdi District Development Committee have decided to issue the Myagdi Water Resource Declaration to attract investment in hydropower in the district. As per the pledge, locals will not create obstacles at hydro projects and the government will ensure the required security.
All the eight political parties active in the district, hydropower stakeholders and the inhabitants at the proposed project sites have been getting ready to issue the declaration. The move has come amid a time when the Rahughat Hydropower Project has not been able to move forward following a dispute between the contractor and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
The Kali Gandaki River and other rivers in the district have a potential capacity to generate 1,000 MW of electricity. Bishnu Prasad Sharma, local development officer of Myagdi, said that the declaration was being prepared along with a commitment from the political parties not to obstruct projects having investment from the private sector or the government. He added that the political parties would help to solve any problem that may arise.
The declaration is expected to create a conducive environment for investment in the district’s hydropower sector by the government, private sector and foreigners. Besides an extension of the road network, more than six large and medium hydropower projects are being implemented in the district.
The NEA has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) at Rs 4.66 per unit for the Mistri Khola Hydropower Project which is being built in Myagdi. Similarly, Robust Energy, the developer of the Mistri Khola project, has obtained licences to develop the Nilgiri Khola I (38 MW) and Nilgiri Khola II (62 MW) projects.
Meanwhile, hydropower projects in construction are puzzled by the government’s lack of action on building a 232 KVA double circuit transmission line as agreed. The NEA is required to erect the power line within the next three years before the Mistri Khola project starts production.
“The dispute at the Rahughat Hydropower Project has distressed a dozen projects being built in the Kali Gandaki and Myagdi River corridor,” states the draft of the water resource declaration.
“We the inhabitants of the district are committed to ensuring smooth work at the hydropower projects,” said UML district chief Hari Krishna Shrestha at a meeting on Tuesday. He added that they would not allow unnecessary demands to be put and halt construction work.
Meanwhile, the 146 MW Kali Gandaki Gorge Hydropower Project planned to be built on the border between Myagdi and Mustang has got nowhere due to delays in signing the PPA. Trade Link Global has completed “scoping” of the Upper Kali Gandaki Hydropower Project which has a capacity of 90 MW.
Similarly, the 4 MW Ghalemdi Khola Hydropower Project has asked for share investment from the general people.
Source : The Kathmandu Post
