Kathmandu, 1 August 2023: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is planning to develop Pharping Hydropower Station, the first in Nepal and the second in Asia with a capacity of 500 kilowatts, as an energy museum and tourist spot.
The NEA has appointed NEA Engineering Company Ltd. as a consultant to prepare a master plan for the development of the center. The master plan will include the renovation of old structures and the construction of new structures on vacant land.
The plan also includes the construction of a green park, restaurant, shop, zip line, picnic spot, library, wall garden, and other structures. The structures of the hydropower center will be renovated and developed as a museum.
The implementation of the master plan is estimated to cost around one billion rupees. The center owns 324 acres of land, and 46 ropani of reservoir area and about 146 ropani of power house area will be used for the construction of tourist structures.
Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet, who visited the center on Monday, was informed about the master plan. Minister Basnet said that the historical significance of the power station should be preserved and developed as a place of reference for scholars, researchers, and all those who are interested in the history of hydroelectricity. He also emphasized that plans and programs should be implemented from the center so that the socio-economic growth of the local residents is achieved.
Energy Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire said that the center should be developed as a beautiful tourist spot using the study site of the hydropower sector and the natural beauty there. The Managing Director of the Authority, Kulman Ghising, mentioned that after the consultant’s report, the center will be developed as an energy museum, research center, and tourist spot.
