Materials of Upper Sanjen Hydropower Project have been stuck due to uneasy import at Rasuwagadhi boarder. Due to Covid-19, China has allowed only five Chinese vehicles to transport goods to Nepal daily. Chinese vehicles daily bring fruits, readymade garments and shoes. Project materials are not a priority. Due to which, the materials that should have arrived a year ago have been blocked in various places in China.
Project Chief Sudan Singh Mahat said that most of the electromechanical materials come from China and there is a problem when those materials are stopped there. “Some of the materials that should have come from India have already arrived. Some are coming, ‘he said,’ but the supplies from China have been stalled for a long time. ‘
The connection of electromechanical equipment of the project being constructed in Amachhodingmo Gaonpalika-5, Chilime of the district has not started yet. The Chinese team will also do the work of connecting the equipment. According to project chief Mahat, a Chinese team will arrive from next March. Chinese workers who went to celebrate the New Year in 2020 have not arrived at the construction site even after one year.
According to the project, the installation work was scheduled to start from February 1, 2020. Chinese groups were preparing to come for this. Project Chief Mahat said that the problem arose due to the inability to move ahead with the equipment connection work even though other works were ongoing.
95 percent physical progress of the project has been completed. This is a 14.8 MW project. The project is currently constructing a pond. The deadline for the construction of the project has been extended three times so far. The target was to complete the construction of the project on July 30, 2010. The project has stated that the deadline has been extended three times due to failure to complete the construction on time. The power purchase agreement (PPA) of the project was signed on September 8, 2008.
The underground tunnel of the project is 1300 meters. Civil contractor ECI Bajraguru is constructing the project. ECI Bajraguru JV in civil works, Chinese contractor Tonfang Electric International Corporation in electromechanical, Nepal Hydro and Electric Limited in hydromechanical and Mudbhari and Joshi Construction Pvt.
The project should build a seven-kilometer transmission line from the power house to the Chilime hub. Construction of 132 KV transmission line is underway. It is seen that the construction of Chilime Hub will not be completed by the time the project generates electricity. Due to which, the project is preparing to connect electricity to Chilime transmission line by making contingency plan. He said that limited electricity can be connected to 11 kV double circuit line. After the construction of the hub, the generated electricity will be connected to the hub.
Source : Nagarik