Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project gets another three months extension to have its DPR finalized

Kathmandu; Another three months has been extended to finalize the detailed project report (DPR) of the much-discussed Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project, a long overdue mega project.

The eighth meeting of the jury (governing body) under the Pancheshwar Development Authority (PDA) held last Thursday and Friday in Pokhara made this decision. Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) led the meeting from Nepal’s side while Pankaj Kumar, secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, India, led the Indian side.

Following the meeting, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, said that his Indian counterpart consented to the initiatives towards finalizing the project’s DPR. These include extending the tenure of the expert team and preparing the DPR within next three months and deploying permanent staffs at the PDA’s headquarter located in Mahendranagar.

According to Ghimire the two sides agreed that the tenure of the expert team will be extended for the next six months and the team should prepare the DPR within three months. He added that the meeting of the expert team will be held within the next ten days.

The bilateral discussion also concluded to reduce the size of the expert teams from 15 to 10 individuals in each of the two countries. The two sides also agreed to make previously appointed Indian consultant WAPCOS Limited to amend the DPR in line with the decision of the expert teams.

As of now, the necessary work on the multipurpose project cannot be carried out effectively due to lack of manpower at the PDA’s office in Mahendranagar. In this regard, the two countries have agreed to deploy officials and related technicians on a permanent basis by July 31.

The two sides also consented to hold a meeting of the regulatory body of the PDA under decision of its co-chairman whenever it is deemed necessary. Previously, it was in practice to hold meetings of this council every six month. After the meeting held in New Delhi in November 2019, it is the first time that the meeting was organized in Pokhara.

During Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India on May 31-June 3, the two countries jointly declared that the DPR of Pancheswar would be prepared in three months. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his commitment in the line.