The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the proposed 306 MW Upper Mugu Karnali Hydroelectric Project (306 MW) in Mugu district of Karnali Province has been made public.

The Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment has approved the report and called for public opinions and suggestions.

According to the report prepared by the project developer Elevate Energy Pvt. Ltd., the project infrastructure will be located in Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality and Chhayanath Rara Municipality of Mugu district. The dam will be constructed in Wards 5 and 6 of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality, and water will be supplied to the powerhouse through an underground waterway.

The project is expected to generate 1,629.25 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. As the water flow in about a 12-kilometer river section from the dam to the powerhouse will decrease, several wards will be affected. The dam will create a reservoir 27 meters high and 2,565.5 meters long, with a maximum surface level of 2,281.6 meters.

For construction, approximately 37.87 hectares of government land and 15.19 hectares of private land will be required. The project is targeted to be completed within 5 years, and the total construction cost is estimated at 55.33 billion rupees.

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