Marsyangdi Hydropower Station located in Aanbookhaireni Rural Municipality-4 of Tanahun is producing electricity at full capacity even in winter season.

According to the hydropower station, even though it is a season to produce low volume of power, the electricity is being produced at its full capacity thanks to rains in the winter season.

Pashupati Gautam, chief engineer of the centre, said that after heavy rains occurred in September last and even in the month of October, electricity was being produced at full capacity.

Gautam said that the full capacity of 69 megawatts of electricity is being produced even in mid-November due to the increase in the flow of water in the river.

He said that as there is sufficient water now, there is a possibility that the hydropower plant will produce electricity at full capacity for another month.

“Last year, due to less snow melting and reduced water flows on rivers, streams and waterfalls, the production had dropped to 30 MW. But now, 69 megawatts of electricity is being produced at the rate of 23 MW each from three units,” he said.

Marsyangdi is a river flowing from the Himalayas. According to the centre, as the temperature increases during the summer season, the snow melts more and the rainfall increases, the flow of water in its tributaries and rivers increases, and the power generation also increases.

The electricity produced from this centre is connected to the national transmission line from a substation in Bharatpur in Chitwan to Kathmandu.

As the temperature rises in the summer season, the snow melts more and when there is a lot of rain, other streams that join the river have more water.

During the dry season, less snow melts and the water in the streams and springs connected with the river is less, so the flow of water is less and the power generation decreases, said Gautam.