The construction of the main structures inside the tunnel under the 40-megawatt Rahughat Hydropower Project being built in Myagdi has been completed. This project, being developed by Raghuganga Hydropower Limited, a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority, is located on the border of wards 4 and 5 of Raghuganga Rural Municipality.

The construction of the main tunnel connecting the dam to Tilkenichaur in Raghuganga Rural Municipality–3, along with the installation of the penstock pipeline, vertical pressure shaft, bottom pressure shaft, top penstock, and penstock pipeline, has been completed.

A total of a 6-kilometer-270-meter-long main tunnel, a 1-kilometer-82-meter-long penstock pipeline, a 196-meter vertical pressure shaft, a 61-meter-high surge shaft, a 329-meter bottom pressure shaft, and a 509-meter top penstock have been installed. Project Managing Director Ganesh KC stated that the plastering and concreting works of the main tunnel - where the “breakthrough” occurred on July 30, 2024 - have been completed.

“Only grouting and lining remain at the junctions of Adit-1 near the dam site, Adit-2 at Andherikhola, Adit-3 at Piple, and Adit-4 at Tilkenichaur,” he said. “The structures of the butterfly valve chamber and the manual chamber have also been completed.”

KC stated that the project has achieved 92 percent physical progress so far, and that with the goal of starting trial production by (February–March 2026), the remaining works related to the dam, tunnel, powerhouse, electromechanical, and hydromechanical components have reached their final stage.

The construction of a 31-meter-long and 17-meter-high dam at Dagnam of Raghuganga Rural Municipality–4 and at the foothill of Jhinko in Ward No. 5 has been completed. The construction of the desander (settling basin) measuring 119.7 meters in length, 31 meters in width, and 16 meters in height is 90 percent complete.

Construction work on the powerhouse being built in Tilkenichaur is 98 percent complete. The construction of the 128-meter-long tailrace duct that discharges water from the powerhouse into the Kaligandaki River has been completed. Project Manager Raj Bahadur Bista said that, of the two units with a capacity of 20 megawatts each, the turbine and generator have been installed in one unit, and equipment installation for the second unit has reached the final stage.

In accordance with the electromechanical contract signed with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in October / November 2029 , the import and installation of equipment have been accelerated. Near the powerhouse, construction of the foundation for the switchyard has been completed, and equipment installation is currently underway.

Due to financial problems, the contract with the previous contractor was terminated in 2015, and the project capacity was increased from 32 megawatts to 40 megawatts before construction was resumed under a new modality. The project is being financed through a concessional loan of USD 67 million from the Export-Import Bank of India, along with joint investment from the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Electricity Authority.

With a target of generating 240 million 593 thousand 34 units of electricity annually, the project signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in March / April 2019 . By constructing an 11-kilometer access road from Ghumaune tal and a Bailey bridge, the dam and the powerhouse have been directly connected to the road network, benefiting local residents as well.

The electricity generated from the Rahughat Hydropower Project will be connected to the central grid through the 220 kV Dana–Kusma transmission line under the Kaligandaki Corridor. For this, the construction of four towers and the transmission line has already been completed.

jalasarokar