GULMI, MAR 11 –
Around 50 percent of the construction works at the 5 MW Upper Hugdi Khola hydropower project have been completed in the past year. The plant is being built as a joint investment of Sahas Hydropower Company and Ruru Hydropower. Construction started in February 2013.
“Dam construction, extension of the road to the powerhouse, extension of the pipe and around 45 percent of the construction of the powerhouse has been completed so far,” said Bharat Prasad Nepal, managing director of the project. Locals are putting up around Rs 10 million of the cost of the Rs 750-million project. Likewise, 70 and 30 percent of the remaining shares have been acquired by Sahas and Ruru respectively. “We have plans to complete the project within 18 months,” said Him Prasad Pathak, chairman of Sahas. “We expect to finish 90 percent of the work by mid-June.”
High Himal Hydro Construction, Machhapuch-chhre Metal Works, BFL Company and Bigyan Construction are working separately at separate construction sites.
The project engineer Kiran Chilwal said that the project would be completed on schedule if there are no power cuts, bandas and strikes. Although the project was originally estimated to cost Rs 750 million, it has now ballooned to Rs 850 million. However, Nepal said that despite the cost overruns, it was still a cheap project.
With expectations of development in the area, locals sold their land at relatively lower prices to the project. It obtained more than 100 ropanis of land for Rs 15 million. Around two hectares of public land have also been used.
The Nepal Electricity Authority said that the district’s electricity requirement would be fully fulfilled by the power generated by the project. The people in the project-affected districts including Shantipur, Rupakot and Turang VDCs and various institutions have invested in the project.
Source : The Kathmandu Post
