The 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project is all set to construct ropeway at Rolwaling Diversion in Bigu Rural Municipality-1 of Dolakha. The Rolwaling Diversion is projected to add 22 MW to the project’s capacity.

The project decided to install a 2.4 km-long ropeway in Chhyotchhyot to Riku village to reduce the cost of transporting necessary construction materials, said project Spokesperson Ganesh Neupane. The project has already called for a tender to construct the ropeway.

After the hydropower project is completed, the cable car will be handed over to the locals to boost tourism in the region, Neupane said.

The Upper Tamakoshi project would generate 2.28 billion units of electricity per year. “With the construction of the Rolwaling Diversion, 17.6 crore more units of electricity will be generated by adding water from Rolwaling during the dry season,” said Neupane.

The project also aims to add 15.7 crore units of power. “We are developing new projects to generate more power. When all the new projects come into operation, the Upper Tamakoshi Hydro project will be able to generate 2.61 billion units of electricity a year,” Neupane said.

Project consultant Lahmeyer International has prepared a detailed project report for another project to channel Rolwaling’s water in Tamakoshi to generate energy in dry season.

The initial estimated cost of the project was Rs 35.29 billion, but costs have reached Rs 42 billion now. Earlier, only around Rs 2.5 billion was estimated to be spent for Rolwaling Diversion.

As per the latest schedule of the project, it will begin generating electricity before July 2018, and will generate more by November in the same year. A total of 88 per cent of the total construction of the project has been completed so far.