The construction of a 21-kilometer access road to the dam site of the 1,063-megawatt semi-reservoir Upper Arun Hydropower Project, to be built in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality, has begun.

The project's administration chief, Purna Chauhan, said that land has been acquired for the construction of the access road, and 2,100 trees have been cut down. Construction materials have been transported by helicopter for the road’s construction. A total of 413 ropanis of land has been acquired for the project.

Similarly, Rs 136.5 million has been paid to the Forest Department for felling trees in the national and community forests of Wards 2 and 4 of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality. According to administration chief Chauhan, the price of land in that area was fixed at Rs 150,000 per ropani.

As per the Project Development Agreement (PDA), if trees are cut during project operations, saplings will be planted elsewhere. The project has already paid Rs 136.5 million to the Forest Department for planting and nurturing saplings.

A concrete bridge will also be constructed over the Arun River and in Chepuwa, both located along the access road. Additionally, a road will be built from Chhorang in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-4 to Rukuma Phedi in Bhotkhola-2. Likewise, Rs 7.91 billion has been allocated for the construction of the access road.