Ilam, Feb. 23: Construction work of the Puwakhola hydropower project has been completed and the task of releasing water from the intake tunnel to the headrace tank has been accomplished today.

Digging of the 4,380 metre long tunnel and the remaining construction work have already been completed, according to project chief Bishnu Bahadur Singh.

Seventyfive per cent of the investment has been made by the Nepal Electricity Authority (nea) while remaining 25 per cent cost has been met by His Majesty’s Government (hmg).

Construction of the project was initiated in 1994-95 and carried out by the Nepalese technicians.

The water of the Puwakhola stream has been channelled through the tunnel from the confluence of the Ghattekhola and the Puwakhola to the head tank at Ward No. 4 of Ilam Municipality.

The water is channelised through the penstock pipe and released to the power house where two turbines will be generating 6,200 kilowatt of power. Necessary machines have already been installed for the generation of power.

However, the water of the Puwakhola stream will not be able to sustain the generation of power for three months in a year, according project chief Singh.

While controlling the Puwakhola stream in this way, water at the rate of 240 litre per second will be released for the conservation of environment and the farmers who are dependent on irrigation project below the intake, it is learnt.

The Project will generate 40.8 million kilowatt hour of electricity on the average in a year.

The cost per unit of the power will be Rs 2.80 and the annual income will be Rs 200 million and the investment will be recovered in fifty years, according to project engineer Bhanubhakta Pokharel.