Nepalgunj, March 16 : The Sustainable Community Development Pogramme (SCDP) has signed separate agreements with the district development committees of Humla of the Mid-Western Region, Myagdi of the Central Region and Okhaldhunga of the Eastern Region for launching the programme in those districts.

The programme will be launched in the three districts from 2000 to 2002, according to national programme manager Hum Bahadur Gurung.

The programme launched by the National Planning Commission with the technical cooperation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has so far been conducted in Surkhet and Dang districts of the Mid-Western Region and Kailali in the Far-Western Region.

Under the second phase of the programme, the on-going schemes  will be consolidated to make them sustainable.

The three additional districts have been selected in view of the deterioration of the catchment area and considerations of human development and after realising the need to extend the Sustainable Community Development Programme to other development regions, it is learnt.

Also in the second phase, technical cooperation will be extended to build up community organisations in the additional districts and enhance efficiency for sustainable socio-economic development and environment management.

All activities will be carried out through the initiative and management of   local communities.

The sustainable Community Development Programme will coordinate with governmental, non-governmental and community organisations and mobilise resources.

The concept and method of sustainable development have been presented in the ninth plan as examplary, it is learnt.

Earlier in Ilam, supply of electricity from the Puwakhola Hydel Project to the central grid began recently following completion of all necessary works of the project.

The project which began in the fiscal year 2051/52 b.s. is the first project to be completed under supervision of the Nepali technicians.

The total cost of the project implemented with 25 per cent investment of his Majesty’s government and 75 per cent of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is expected to reach one billion rupees.

Production of electricity has now begun from one of the two turbines of 3100 KW capacity installed in the power house of the project.

Electricity produced from the project will cost Rs. 2.80 per unit and the project will make a profit of Rs. 200 million annually thereby collecting the total cost of the project in five years, it is learnt.

Fifty per cent ( 3100 kw) of the total electricity produced by the project will be consumed in Ilam district while the remaining will be supplied to the national grid.

Meanwhile, Dhangadhi, the District Water Supply Office, Achham, has completed the construction of the Lunga Potable Water Project at Lunga VDC Ward No.l  under the Rural Potable Water and Sanitation Project.

The project was completed at a total cost of Rs 1,067,000 including Rs 144,000 provided by HMG, a credit assistance of Rs 755,000 by the Asian Development bank, and voluntary labour equivalent to rs 168,000 by the local users, it is learnt from the District Water Supply Office.

About three hundred persons have been benefited from the project under which eight public taps were fitted to supply water from two tanks.

Director of the Regional Water Supply Directorate Ananda Mohanlal Das, handed over the project to the local users and sanitation committee at a programme recently held at Lunga.