Beltari, Syangja, Mar. 15:Kaligandaki-A Hydro-electricity Project, country’s largest hydro power project, is to be completed in July 2001, seven months later than it was initially planned. As per the initial plan and agreement reached with donors and contractors, the project was to generate electricity in December 2000 and provide relief to the people long suffered from regular power outage especially in the winter season.
The delay for the completion of project was attributed to several reasons. Keshav Bahadur Chand, chief of the project said about six months was delayed because necessary equipment for the project construction could not arrive in time and works for more than one month was hampered by labour unrest in the construction site at different times.
However, Chand is confident that the project would be complete in July 2001 and start generating electricity.
Almost 60 per cent construction work of the project has been completed now.
The 144 MG Kaligandaki A Hydroelectricity Project was launched in 1997 with loan assistance from Asian Development Bank and Japan Overseas Development Agency and contribution from His Majesty’s Government and Nepal Electricity Authority.
There are seven lots of work in the project. The lots 1,2, and 3 comprise civil construction works which have been given to Italian contractor, Impregilo SPA, one of the leading companies working in the field of hydro power.
The other lots comprising mechanical, electrical and transmission line construction are given to different foreign companies like Japanese, German and Indian.
Had the equipment arrived in time and works not disturbed by labour unrest, the project would have been completed even before the scheduled time, said Robiyati.
The Kaligandaki-A Hydroelectricity Project is the run-off -river type of project with the 144 mg installed capacity. The dam is being constructed in Mirmi to divert water through six-meter long tunnel to the powerhouse in Beltari of Krishna Gandaki VDC. Almost 75 per cent of construction of the powerhouse has been completed, according to engineer working in the site.
In the same way, the tunnel work is also being done in full swing.
Along with construction of the project, Nepal Electricity Authority has been strictly monitoring to ensure the minimum environmental damage in the project site. NEA has its own monitoring unit called Kaligandaki A Environmental Monitoring Unit that regularly monitors the activities of the contractors to ensure that their activities cause minimum damage to local environment.
As per the EIA of the project, several measures have to be taken in order to mitigate the negative impact on the local environment. However, some of the measures had not been taken, which, according to NEA staff and contractor, was because such works could not be done simultaneously with the construction work.
Robiyati, however, said that they would be done in course of time. Moreover, both NEA and Impregilo spa have carried out some social and developmental activities in the area which have directly benefited the local people.
“Although the contract does not require us to do these works, we have already initiated the work of constructing a modern hospital in Mirmi, a school for the poor people who are affected by the project,” said Robiyati. Impregilo itself has so far recruited teachers and paid them to teach the children of local Botes (fishermen).
Apart from this, it has given priority to local people who were affected by the project in the employment.
Besides, NEA has started work for providing drinking water facilities to the people of Krishna Gandaki VDC.
“We saw the problem of drinking water in Krishna Gandaki VDC and started work for providing drinking water to the people” said Chand. According to Chand, source of water in Mohandanda village has already been purchased for the same.
Similarly, the other benefits that local people have received from the project are electrification in the village and access road.
Some local people complained that they have already experienced some negative impacts because of the construction of the project. Bed Prakash Bhattarai, vice chairman of Krishna Gandaki VDC, said that cracks were seen in some houses of local people and some sources of waters have dried up because of heavy explosion while constructing tunnel. However, both Chand and Robiyati said that there was no scientific proof of his claims. “We have checked and rechecked whether there were really an impacts of explosion, but we could not find it,” said Chand.
Similarly, chief of Impregilo spa Robiyati said that his company wanted to leave very good impression among the people and was very cautious about any kind of negative environmental and social impact by the project.