Minister Of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, has said that a 225-megawatt Saptagandaki Multipurpose Reservoir Hydropower Project should be constructed to support the overall development of Kaski, Chitwan, and Nawalparasi in the lower coastal areas of the Narayani River.

Speaking at a welcome and interaction programme organised by the Chitwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Narayanghat on Saturday, Minister Ghising said the project should be developed in a manner that does not submerge the religiously significant Devghat area, while also leveraging reservoir projects such as Budhigandaki and Tanahun planned in the upper catchment areas.

“To address river erosion and flooding on a long-term basis, an integrated river basin management plan must be pursued by constructing reservoir projects in the upper catchment areas,” Ghising said. “Reservoirs built on the tributaries of the Narayani River - such as the Seti, Budhigandaki and Kaligandaki - will store excess water during the monsoon and release it in a regulated manner during winter, bringing benefits in flood control, agriculture, and water transportation.”

Ghising noted that the Saptagandaki project was identified long ago and said that by slightly reducing the dam height, the project could be developed without submerging Devghat while enhancing the area’s aesthetic value. “If implemented, the project will deliver multipurpose benefits and mark another milestone in the region’s development,” he added.

A feasibility study of the Saptagandaki Multipurpose Hydropower Project on the Narayani River - flowing along the borders of Chitwan, Tanahun, and Nawalparasi - was conducted in 1985 with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The study proposed constructing a dam about one kilometre downstream of Devghat, at the confluence of the Trishuli and Kaligandaki rivers, and concluded that the Devghatdham area would be submerged.

However, Minister Ghising said the project could be advanced by lowering the dam height and minimising impacts on the religious site. He added that a reservoir at Devghat could support electricity generation and provide irrigation facilities to hundreds of hectares of farmland in Chitwan and Nawalparasi.

Citing international examples where specific regions have been developed as model cities and replicated elsewhere, Ghising said Bharatpur, with its vast potential, should be developed as a modern city.

He further informed that significant investment is being made to improve and expand electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure to develop Bharatpur, Butwal, and Pokhara as a Green Triangle Economic Zone.

During the programme, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised demands including the development of Devghat as a religious tourism destination, ensuring reliable and quality electricity supply in Chitwan, construction of embankments to control river erosion, and the expedited construction of an industrial zone in Shaktikhor.