KATHMANDU:
Nepal Electricity Authority has prepared the draft of an agreement to formally hand over Budhi Gandaki Hydroelectric Project to Budhi Gandaki Hydroelectric Project Development Committee.
“We have already prepared final draft of MoU for delivery,” NEA director Lila Nath Bhattarai told an interaction held in Kathmandu, today. “Once the MoU is finalised, the process of complete hand-over of the project will begin.”
The government had decided to develop the 600MW reservoir-based Budhi Gandaki hydro project more than two decades ago and had conducted a pre-feasibility study in 1984. But after that nothing much happened.
However, in fiscal year 2009-10, the moribund project was given a new lease of life with NEA starting the process of conducting a feasibility study. This study continued till last fiscal.
Then the state-owned power company decided to hand over the task of conducting a complete feasibility study and preparing a detailed design of the project to an international consulting agency through a bidding competition.
Based on submission of tender documents, NEA announced France-based Tractebel Engineering as the preferred bidder and signed an agreement with it on December 2, 2012. But on December 3, the government decided to form an independent body to oversee implementation of the project and formed Budhi Gandaki Hydroelectric Project Development Committee.
Although the formal process of handing over the project to the committee began on August 3, it has not yet been complete.
“The process of handing over the project might sound simple but it’s not,” Bhattarai said. “We have to transfer everything from assets and liabilities, including loans of government.”
Budhi Gandaki hydro project, located around 75km from Kathmandu on Budhi Gandaki river flowing between Gorkha and Dhading districts, has the potential to generate 2.50 billion units of electricity per year.
This is expected to significantly contribute to country’s growing energy demand and address problem of power cuts which has forced the country to stay in dark, affecting general lives and economic activities.
“Considering the problems related to power supply faced by people and businesses, we are planning to complete the project by 2020,” chairman of the committee Dr Laxmi Prasad Devkota said.
“To expedite project implementation, we are planning to take the process of scouting for investors and addressing issues related to resettlement side by side,” Dr Devkota said.
Committee plans to initiate these processes once the French consultant hands over the report in June 2015. The French consulting agency’s report will contain details on feasibility study, detailed design of project, environment and social impact assessment, terms and conditions for bidding and resettlement plan.
“As per current estimates, around 30,000 to 50,000 people will have to be relocated for construction of the project as 12 village development committees in Gorkha and another 11 in Dhading are expected to be inundated,” Dr Devkota informed.
Source : The Himalayan Times
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बूढीगण्डकी आयोजनाको निर्माण ८ वर्षभित्र
असोज २३, काठमाडौं । बूढीगण्डकी जलविद्युत् आयोजनाको निर्माण कार्य ८ वर्षभित्र पूरा गरिने भएको छ । बूढीगण्डकी जलविद्युत् आयोजना विकास समितिले बुधवार आयोजना गरेको एक कार्यक्रममा सो जानकारी दिइएको हो । आयोजनाका कार्यकारी अध्यक्ष डा. लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटाले उच्चतम प्रतिफल आउने गरी निर्माण गरिन लागेको आयोजना समयमै पूरा गर्ने लक्ष्यसहित काम अगाडि बढाइएको बताए । गोरखा र धादिङ जिल्लाको बीचबाट बग्ने बूढीगण्डकी नदीमा निर्माण गरिने सो आयोजनाबाट ६ सय मेगावाट विद्युत् उत्पादन गर्न सकिन्छ । करीब २ खर्ब रुपैयाँको लागतमा निर्माण हुने सो आयोजनाबाट उत्पादित बिजुली स्वदेशमै खपत हुने पनि बताइएको छ । कार्यक्रममा आयोजनाको विस्तृत अध्ययन प्रतिवेदन (डीपीआर) तयार गर्न अध्ययन भइरहेको र सो डेढ वर्षभित्र तयार हुने पनि बताइयो ।
सरकारले बूढीगण्डकी आयोजनालाई राष्ट्रिय गौरवको आयोजना घोषणा गरिसकेको छ । सो आयोजना जलाशययुक्त भएकाले हिउँदमा समेत पर्याप्त विद्युत् उत्पादन गर्न सकिने पनि देवकोटाले जानकारी दिए । उनले भने, ‘भ्याएसम्म नेपाली श्रम, शीप र पूँजीको उपयोग गरी आयोजना निर्माण गरिने लक्ष्य लिइएको छ ।’ कार्यक्रममा ऊर्जा मन्त्रालयका सचिव विश्वप्रकाश पण्डितले नेपालको दिगो विकास र लोडशेडिङ अन्त्यका लागि बूढीगण्डकी आयोजना कोशेढुङ्गा साबित हुने विश्वास व्यक्त गरे ।
कार्यक्रममा बूढीगण्डकी आयोजनाका बारेमा आयोजनाको परामर्शदाता फ्रान्सको ट्राक्टवेल इञ्जिनीयरिङ कम्पनी र नेपाल विद्युत् प्राधिकरणका तर्फबाट आयोजनाका बारेमा प्राविधिक कार्यपत्र प्रस्तुत गरिएको थियो ।
@अभियान
