Rasuwa, Mar. 25 :Twenty-five percent construction work of Chilime hydroelectric project launched with internal resources and technical personnel has been completed.

The target is to construct a small dam at Chilime Thampucheta of Rasuwa district, and channelize 7.50 cubic metre of water per second through one kilometre long canal and 2,286 metre headrace to the power house and generate 20 megawatts of electricity.

Managing director of the Chilime Hydropower Company Dr. Dambar Bahadur Nepali expressed determination to make the project successful and prove that Nepali technicians are capable of harnessing the water resources of the country.

At present 16 Nepalese technicians are working in the project.

On completion of the project, 13.7 million unit of power will be generated and rs 500 million will be earned annually.

Sixty percent of the estimated cost of Rs 2.32 billion required for the project will be met through loan investment of financial institutions and the remaining 40 per cent cost  by floating shares.

The specialities of the project are the establishment of 20 megawatt capacity power house. The project, being underground, will be safe from flood and landslide and the environmental impact will also be minimum.

The construction of a 37-metre high tank has already been completed at a cost of Rs 3.2 million a few months back.

Nepalese contractors are undertaking construction of the headwork of the portion at the source and 80 per cent progress has been made in this regard, according to site in-charge Madhav Prasad Koirala.

Project chief Lilanath Bhattarai says that he is confident that the project would be completed in time. A sum of Rs 600 million has been spent on the project so far, he added.

The construction work is believed to be completed by July, 2001. After repaying the loan and its interest in six years time, the project is expected to start making profit from the seventh year onwards, according to project sources.

The contracting companies are transporting heavy equipment and bulldozer in vehicle and transporting to the project site through a bailey bridge, according to engineer Bishnu Bahadur Thapa.

The heavy equipment will be dismantled and taken across the bridge in the future, it is learnt.

Of the 495 workers involved in the construction of the project, 50 are from Rasuwa district and rest from Nuwakot district and the Terai region, according to engineer Rajendra Prasad Acharya.

Four hundred ropanis of land in and around the project site have been acquired and compensation worth Rs 4 million already been provided to the local people.

The project has provided physical and educational materials to the nearby schools and also built a school.

The project will also be organising skill-oriented training for the local people with the objective of providing them employment.