Rasuwa, Jan. 21 : Twenty per cent of the construction work of the Chilime Hydel Project launched with an objective of utilising Nepal’s water resources in the national interest by mobilising indigenous capital and home technology has so far been completed, according co- project chief Lila Nath Bhattarai.
The project located at Rasuwa district will generate 20 megawatt of electricity from the power house at Syaphrubensi after sending 7.5 cubic metres per second of water through the one km long power canal and 2,826 metres long head race canal from a small dam at Thambuchet.
Altogether 13,70,00,000 units of electricity will be supplied by connecting it with the national grid at devighat through a 38 km long 66 kv transmission linefrom the power house. This will give an annual income of Rs 50,00,00,000.
The project will be financed with 60 per cent of the total cost of Rs 2.32 billion coming in loan investment by financial organisations of Nepal and 40 per cent through share investment.
Of the share investment, 51 per cent will be invested by the Nepal Electricity Authority, 25 per cent by employees and 24 per cent in shares from the general public, whereas the employees provident fund will make available Rs 80,00,00,000 for which a bilateral agreement has been concluded.
The Chilime Hydel Company Ltd was registered at the department of industries on 052 Kartik 14 for the launching the project.
Managing director of the Chilime Hydel Company Dr. Dambar Bahadur Nepali says the company aims to prove that the Nepalese themselves can develop hydro power in Nepal by making the Chilime Hydel Project a success as it will generate electricity reliably from water which has its source in the Himalayas.
Though the hydel project had started works two years ago with complete preparations, the previous contractor had not been able to complete work within the stipulated time and thus the contract was broken. Another contract was worked out for all the construction work.
The companies working in the project are Baiba/Sapana construction jv, amar and Super Sherpa Construction jv, balaju Yantrashala Pvt. Ltd. and Nepal hydro and electric and the foreign companies are Larsen and Toubro, India and Schulzar Hydro, Germany. The work under these contracts has been going on at an accelerated pace, the project said.
The technical specialities of the project are that 20 megawatt of electricity can be generated from a small river like the Chilime because of the geological structure here and the facility will be safe from landslides and floods as most of the structures are underground and the environmental impact will be minimal. The construction cost of the project is also low because of the small size of the project structure.
It is proved from the completion of the 37 m high surge tank at Komin at a cost of Rs 3,200,000 that Nepali technicians are capable of completing such work at less than the prevalent cost.
The project has also provided educational and physical facilities to the Syage Wangfel Secondary School at Syaphrubensi for welfare of the local people living in the vicinity of the project and the building of the Kamin Primary School has been constructed as well as physical facilities provided.
Similarly, the project will also provide financial assistance to the Parbati Kund Secondary School Goljhung and construct a resthouse in Thambuchet.
The project will arrange for the usual operation of the Goljhung Small Irrigation Project, provide a modern water mill in place of the old one, provide usual facilities for wild life and provide employment to the local residents as well as skill oriented training.
To the question of rss representative Gyanendra Neupane as to whether the project will be completed by July 2001 and about the cost so far, Dr. Dambar Nepali said it will be completed in time and said so far Rs 500 million has been spent.
It is said that after completion of the project work, all the principle and interest of the project loan will be paid back within six years and it will deposit all its income in the internal revenue fund from the seventh year. It will pay Rs 20,000,000 as revenue to hmg each year.
The local residents have been given priority in work they can themselves complete for the project and at least 150 local workers have been directly involved in the work, the project said.
Meanwhile, Kathmandu, National Concern Society (Rastriya Sarokar Samaj) held a programme here today to furnish details about the Kaligandaki ‘A’ Project and its impact.
At the programme, vice chairman of Shrikrishna VDC in Syangja district Ved Prasad Bhattarai accused the project of giving false assurances of employment to local people and causing environmental damage by constructing a swimming pool and other houses and sheds on land acquired from them on lease for a period of three years.
Chairman of the workers union at the project Narayan Gurung complained that the project has not made available any of the facilities like raising of wages, introducing life insurance policies and medical allowance.
Local resident of the area Ganesh Bhattarai said that the project has not paid up the rent for land hired by it and disclosed that some 35 children belonging to Srikrishna, Yamgha and Harmichaur VDCs have suffered some hearing loss and incidents of miscarriage by women and livestock have occured due to the blasting being carried out by the project.
The district administration would not show any interest in these issues, he added.
The participants including Him Lal Pandey also spoke of other adverse impact from the project.