Kathmandu: Nepal and India have agreed to constitute a Joint Hydro Development Committee (JHDC) to further explore the development of viable hydropower projects in Nepal with particular focus on storage projects.

The two sides reached an agreement during the Ninth Meeting of Nepal-India Joint Working Group meeting on Power Sector Cooperation held in Kathmandu on Friday.

The Indian side also acknowledged the recent enhancement in the installed power generation capacity in Nepal which paves the way for stronger and mutually beneficial cooperation in the power sector, according to a press statement issued after the meeting, according to Embassy of India in Kathmandu.

Nepal-India held the 9th meetings of the Joint Working Group (JWG, Joint Secretary level) and the Joint Steering Committee (JSC, Secretary level) on bilateral power sector cooperation in Kathmandu on Thursday and Friday in Kathmandu. These mechanisms provide necessary framework to support bilateral cooperation in power sector.

During the JSC and JWG meetings, the two sides reaffirmed that power sector cooperation is a strong pillar of India Nepal partnership and agreed to pursue it along the following axes: joint development of generation projects in Nepal, joint development of cross-border power transmission infrastructure, power trade under respective domestic regulations and policy framework, and capacity building assistance.

The apex JSC meeting was co-chaired by Secretary (Power), Government of India, Alok Kumar and Secretary (Energy), Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Devendra Karki.