PM virtually oversees Bheri Babai and Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Project works

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has taken stock of two multipurpose national pride projects.

PM Dahal today inquired about the Bheri Babai Diversion Project and Sunkosi Marin Diversion Project from the 'Action Room' set up in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

To activate the Room, the PM virtually oversaw the construction process of those mega projects. Both of the projects are being constructed using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and it is also the first project for diverting the water of one river to another.

Although tunnel work related works under the Bheri Babai Project has been completed, the remaining works including construction of power house and dam among others remain to be built.

Project chief Dinesh Bhatta appraised the PM that other remaining works related to the Project could not be taken forward in expected manner due to COVID-19 pandemic and other technical issues such as absence of a consultation company.

The Project aims to irrigate around 51,000 hectare areas in Banke and Bardiya districts besides generating electricity. The incumbent government is effortful to give impetus to the Project that is lagging behind the deadline.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, said that immediate initiatives need to be taken to take forward the Project which accomplished the construction of tunnel before the deadline but has been far from completion of other constructions within the deadline.

Similarly, the Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Project has made remarkable progress in construction of tunnel since the work began nine months ago. Under this Project, water from the Sunkoshi River would be diverted to Marine River for irrigation and drinking water supply to the Madhesh Province.

The tunnel measuring 7.96 kilometres has been constructed in the last nine months, the Head of the Government was informed.

The project has seen 53 percent of the tunnel construction, which is expected progress, according to the project chief Mitra Baral.

Out of the total 13.1 kilometres tunnel, construction of 1,224 metres has been completed, he said. The project that aims to irrigate the total 122,000 hectares of land in the Tarai Madhes, is expected to be complete before the deadline, he said.

Construction has been categorised into three sessions with the use of tunnel boring machines. He said contractors have been mobilised to construct the powerhouse, embankments and the transmission line.

Energy Minister Basnet urged PM Dahal to resolve the problem of payments facing the project. "Budget allocated for the project in the current fiscal year, 2022/23 has been spent in making payments to the contractors. There is a need for additional budget. For this, I urge the Right Honorable PM to take initiative."

The project faced a construction halt two times since it started. Now, no halt is expected as the project work has reached below the Mahabharat mountain range, Baral expressed the hope. PM Dahal has been reiterating the resolution of any problems and expedite the construction by inspecting the project site physically or virtually.

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