The Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project has achieved 66 per cent physical progress so far. This project, which started from the financial year 2071-72 B.S., should be completed by the fiscal year 2084-85 B.S.

According to the project contractor, about 66 per cent construction work of the project has been completed till date. The national pride project, which will be built at a total cost of Rs. 33.19 billion, has also achieved 57.78 per cent financial progress. This is 33.37 per cent more than the annual target during the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2023/24.

Around Rs. 15.50 billion has been spent so far out of the total estimated cost Rs. 33.19 billion. Looking at the state of annual budget and expenditure, around Rs. 497.1 million has been spent by mid-February out of the total budget of Rs. 1.59 billion allocated in the current fiscal year 2023/24.

The construction of a 12.20-km-long tunnel has been completed in the first phase of the Bheri-Babai project, which has been advanced as a multipurpose diversion project funded by the government.

According to the concept of using Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for the first time in Nepal and only after the successful use of this technology, construction of dam and powerhouse as well as connection and construction of hydro-mechanical and electromechanical, the master plan with an estimated cost of Rs. 16.43 billion was approved and the work was carried forward.

According to the project, after the completion of the first phase of tunnel construction, the second phase of dam and powerhouse construction, as well as hydro-mechanical and electromechanical connection and construction are currently being carried out in full swing. For that, around Rs. 36.80 billion has been ensured.

Of the total, there is a budget of Rs. 33.19 billion for the Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project and Rs. 3.6 billion for the Bheri Corridor Irrigation Development Project. On May 2, 2023, according to the decision of the council of ministers, an office was established at Botechaur in Surkhet for Bheri Corridor Irrigation and River Management.

Under the project, the goal of the project is to release 40 cubic metres of water per second into the Babai River through a 12.2 km long tunnel with a diameter of 4.20 metres and a desalting basin with a 120-meter-long barrage in the Bheriganga Municipality-11 of Surkhet.

Out of the total three turbines of 23.4 megawatts capacity, one additional turbine will be used only during maintenance and the remaining two turbines will be used for regular operation.

According to Senior Divisional Engineer Pawan Adhikari, about 400 gigawatt hours of electricity will be produced annually.

After the completion of the project, around 51,000 hectares of land of Bardiya and Banke district will be irrigated round the year.

It is expected that this project, which is the first time in Nepal to successfully construct a tunnel using TBM, will lead to the study, research and implementation of other projects of a similar nature, which will be a great leap forward in technology development in Nepal as a whole.

As a result, the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project has been implemented.