Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project to be built

The process of acquiring 13,000 ropanis of land in Khotang, 9,000 ropanis in Okhaldhunga and 500 ropanis in Solukhumbu has been started for the Dudhkoshi Hydropwer Project.

Work is underway on a 635-megawatt hydropower project at Rabhunwaghat on the border of Rawabensi Village Municipality-3 Lamidanda of Khotang and Chisankhugadhi Village Municipality-6 Bhadaure of Okhaldhunga. A notice was published in Gorkhapatra on March 7 for the acquisition of land in Okhaldhunga.

It is estimated that about 20,000 ropanis of land will have to be acquired besides government land for the operation of the hydropower project, said Deputy Director of the project Sitaram Prakhachen. Five thousand three hundred and four plots of land of Rawabensi village municipality of Khotang, five hundred and twenty-two plots of land of Aiselukharka village municipality and two thousand four hundred and nine plots of land of Chisangkhugadhi village municipality of Okhaldhunga are being prepared for acquisition.

The project has stated that additional 2,000 ropanis of land will be acquired in Dhitung and Lamidanda. Vikal Shrestha, Assistant Chief District Officer and Coordinator of the Compensation Determination Sub-Committee informed that the work of evaluating the land for distribution of compensation in Khotang has reached the final stage.

The project is moving ahead with the aim of generating electricity by transferring water into Dhitung through a 13.30-kilometer headrace tunnel from a reservoir-based hydropower project to be constructed on the bank of Koshi in Rabhunwaghat of Lamidanda. The dam to be constructed at Rabhunwaghat will inundate an area of ​​10 kilometers on the bank of Dudhkoshi towards Solukhumbu, 8 kilometers on the bank of Ravakhola towards Khotang and 4 kilometers on the bank of Thotnekhola towards Okhaldhunga.

The Dudhkoshi project will positively impact 1,150 families in three districts. 657 families of Khotang, 479 families of Okhaldhunga and 14 families of Solukhumbu. According to the Electricity Authority, the government has been recommended to move ahead with the Dudhkoshi project identified in 1985 under the Koshi Basin Study Master Plan with the support of the Japanese government. The project is expected to help in the promotion of boat shipping, fisheries and tourism in Dudhkoshi Reservoir along with electronic services. Tourists visiting Halesi will be able to take a boat ride in the reservoir to be built in Rabhunwa during the operation of the project.