Tanahun Hydro Completes Additional Three Tunnels

Tanahun: Tanahun Hydroelectricity Project has completed the construction of three tunnels.
The 140-Megawatts project has constructed audit tunnel required for the access to underground surge tank having 30 metre diameter and 65 metre height.

The 437.1-metre tunnel constructed under the package 2 of the project completed on Friday evening, said Chief of the project Achyut Babu Ghimire. "It will facilitate the construction of underground surge tank," he said.

Chinese Sino Hydro Company has constructed the third tunnel as road development was complex in the mountainous area. Earlier on June 16, main tunnel construction to the power house was completed and on June 4 a 314m tunnel to access the right side of the intake was finished.

The project being developed in Byas Municipality-5 and Rishing Rural Municipality-1 of Tanahun district needed tunnels to construct underground surge tank, power house, intake and river diversion work.

Ghimire said that it took seven months to construct the audit tunnel to the surge tank. Chinese and Nepali technicians and 400 workers were deployed for the work. Sino Hydro is constructing power house while Song Da Kalika JV will develop the intake.

Progress of the project was delayed due to the delay in appointing contractors, cancellation of them and making news appointment but as it continued the work even during the lockdowns, three tunnels are completed by now, said Ghimire.
He said that the construction work was continued with physical distance and use of sanitiser and masks. Currently, works to construct tunnel, power house and installation of hydro-mechanical equipment are underway. The contractor company has completed the cable tunnel construction and is working to develop tail race tunnel.

As per the third phase of the project, a 220 KV double circuit transmission line is being constructed from Damauli of Tanahun to Bharatpur of Chitwan. Foundation of 26 towers of transmission line is laid and a technical team from India is making preparation for the installation of the infrastructure. 

The Rising Nepal