All ten local government units of Sankhuwasabha have expressed their agreement to invest, through founder shares, in the under-construction 454-megawatt Kimathanka Arun Hydropower Project located in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality.

At a discussion program organized by the Electricity Generation Company Limited in Khandbari, representatives of the local governments clarified that they are ready to invest an amount equivalent to the shares allocated to their respective jurisdictions.

Chief Executive Officer of the project, Hiraman Waiba, said that the Kimathanka Arun project is one of the largest hydropower projects in the country. According to him, the detailed feasibility study and engineering study of the project have been completed. Waiba informed that this project will be developed based on the concept of ‘People’s Hydropower Project’.

It has been arranged that 51 percent of the investment in the project will be from the Government of Nepal and 49 percent from the general public, which, according to him, will ensure the participation and ownership of local governments and citizens.

During the discussion, Project Manager Ashok Pandit informed that the target is to start electricity generation within five years from the date construction begins. He emphasized that cooperation among all stakeholders is necessary to complete the project on time.

The Chief of the District Coordination Committee, Suman Shakya, stated that such a large and strategically important project must be completed within the stipulated timeframe, and expressed confidence that the project would be successful through coordination among the local governments, the project-promoting company, and the central government.

Under this semi-reservoir-type project, the preliminary design envisions the construction of a dam about 140 meters high on the Arun River near Chhumsur village. It is reported that after the dam is built, a reservoir covering an area of approximately 0.350 square kilometers and with a storage capacity of 10.3 million cubic meters of water will be created.

The project’s powerhouse will be located in the Pungchhi area, about 500 meters downstream from Lingam village in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-2. For this purpose, there is a plan to construct an underground tunnel approximately 5,918 meters long with a diameter of eight meters. In addition, a 26.8-kilometer access road will be built to reach the project site.

As most of the project’s structures fall within the buffer zone of Makalu Barun National Park, it has been stated that special attention will be given to environmental management. The estimated cost of the project is approximately NPR 92 billion.

Jalasarokar