The 40 MW Rahughat Hydropower Project has achieved 80 percent progress in its construction work. The project being constructed by Raghuganga Hydropower Limited (RGHPL), a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), is expected to be completed within the upcoming mid-June to mid-July (Ashad).

The construction of the main civil structures of the power house has been completed. The work of connecting electromechanical equipment including turbines and generators is ongoing. There will be two units of 20 MW each for power generation.

The construction of the civil structure of the dam has been completed. The gates and other equipment for the dam have been transported to the project site. Installation is now set to begin, according to the project.

One hundred and thirty meters of the 1050 meters of penstock pipes laid to convey water from the main tunnel to the power house have been installed.

About 30 percent of the construction of the sand thickening pond (dissenter) has been completed. The construction of the headwork, which was stopped due to rain, is set to resume now.

Under the project, the concrete lining of the 6.2 km long tunnel mine is ongoing. So far, one kilometer of the main tunnel has been concrete-lined.

Kulman Ghising, managing director of the NEA and chairman of RGHPL, has monitored the construction site and discussed matters with project management, consultants and construction entrepreneurs.

Ghising instructed them to make a unified schedule to complete the construction by mid-June to mid-July next year at any cost.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 9.17 billion. The project includes a concessional loan of $67 million from the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), with the remaining amount invested by the government and other authorities. Following Trishuli and Devighat, India has also provided assistance for power generation to Rahughat.