DPR for Nalgad Hydropower Project uncertain even after six years

KATHMANDU; The detailed project report (DPR) of the Nalgad Hydropower Project is still in limbo although it was supposed to be completed around six years ago.

The process for DPR of the hydropower project in Nalgad, Jajarkot was started in 2016. However, the project has awaited for over six years despite the promised deadline of thirty-one months. 

Australia's Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC), MWH Global and Nepal's Udaya JV signed an agreement in 2016 to complete the DPR within the stipulated deadline.

Local civil society leader Rajendra Bikram Shah said the Jajarkot folks are disappointed due to a continuous delay in the DPR preparation despite the extension of deadline time and again.

Project engineer Padam Thapa said the preparation works to dig tunnel are likely to be completed within a week. According to him, the project's environmental impact assessment is being studied by the Ministry of Forests and Environment and SMEC has been urged to complete the task soon and all the reports are expected to come by mid-July next year.

The project's powerhouse is based in Andheri Stream at Barekot Municipality-8 while its proposed dam site is at Dalli of Nalgad. An underground powerhouse will be built near the confluence of Nalgad and the Thulo Bheri rivers.

The project will have four turbines and each turbine will have the capacity to generate 104.250 megawatts of electricity. Electricity to be produced by the project will be connected to the Kohalpur substation through a 400 kV double-circuit transmission line.

The construction of a 112 km-long transmission line from the project site to Kohalpur is underway. The people of the areas affected by the project have already received compensation.