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Proposed site of the Kulekhani-Sisneri pumped storage hydropower project and the Kulekhani reservoir in Indrasarovar Rural Municipality, Makwanpur.

Preparations have begun for the construction of a 100 MW pumped storage hydropower project in Makwanpur.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is moving forward with plans to develop the Kulekhani-Sisneri pumped storage hydropower project in Indrasarovar Rural Municipality. The proposed project is expected to reduce electricity imports from India during the dry winter season.

Under the project, electricity will be generated using water from the Kulekhani reservoir in Indrasarovar and the water will then be pumped back into the reservoir, forming a closed-loop system.

As part of the process, the NEA has called for public feedback to determine the scope for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The authority has also begun consultations in the affected wards of the rural municipality. Ward Nos. 1, 2 and 3 of Indrasarovar are expected to be impacted by the project.

Subash Thapa Magar, Ward Chairperson of Indrasarovar-1, said discussions on the proposed project were held at the ward office in Markhu on Thursday and in Ward No. 2 on Friday. He said the consultations focused on potential impacts on settlements, infrastructure, the local economy, society and the natural environment, along with collecting suggestions for mitigation measures.

According to the NEA, the project aims to generate electricity for 6 to 10 hours daily during peak demand periods by releasing stored water from Indrasarovar into the Kulekhani stream.

The project will use the existing Indrasarovar reservoir as the upper reservoir. A new 36-metre-high dam will be constructed about three kilometres downstream, near Rangche in Ward No. 2 of Indrasarovar Rural Municipality, to create a lower reservoir with a storage capacity of 1.54 million cubic metres.

Water from Indrasarovar will be channelled through an intake structure near Kalanki in Ward No. 2 and conveyed via a 1.9-kilometre-long tunnel to a proposed powerhouse at Lippane on the left bank of the Kulekhani stream. Water released from the powerhouse will be stored in the lower reservoir.

During periods of low electricity demand, the stored water will be pumped back to the upper reservoir through the same tunnel.

The NEA said the project will not alter the storage capacity of the existing Indrasarovar reservoir. However, when operating at full capacity, the water level in Indrasarovar may fluctuate by up to 20 metres, while the lower reservoir could see fluctuations of up to 23.5 metres.

The project will install two turbines, each with a capacity of 50 MW, with a design discharge of 68.12 cubic metres per second.

The NEA has said that the EIA study will assess the project’s impacts on the area’s natural, physical, biological, social, cultural and economic systems. It has requested written feedback from local governments, schools, hospitals, health posts and other stakeholders.

Currently, the Kulekhani I, II and III hydropower projects together generate 106 MW of electricity.

By Rammani Dahal