Kathmandu, Sept 20: Eighty per cent of construction of the 40-megawatt-capacity Rahughat Hydroelectricity Project has been completed.
The project is being developed by Raghuganga Hydropower Limited, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) with investment by the federal government and NEA as well as the soft loan received through line of credit of EXIM Bank, India.
Works are being carried out on the project with the aim of completing them within mid-July next year. The 6.2 kilometres long tunnel of the project has been constructed and works on its concrete lining are progressing rapidly.
Concrete lining has to be done throughout the tunnel due to the fragile geology. So far, concrete lining has been done on one kilometre of the main tunnel, said Managing Director Ganesh KC of the Project Promoter Company.
One hundred and thirty metres of the 1,050 metres penstock pipe has been constructed. Installation of electromechanical machines as turbine, generator and others is in progress with the completion of the construction of the main civil structure of the power house.
There will be two units of 20-megawatts each for power generation, the Project Office stated. Construction of the civil structures of a dam required for diverting the river water has been completed. The sluice gates and other equipment to be installed in the dam have already been transported to the construction site. Works on installing them will be started now.
NEA Managing Director and Chair of the Raghuganga Hydropower Limited, Kul Man Ghising, carried out a monitoring inspection of the construction site on Thursday and held discussions with the project management, consultants and the contractors.
On the occasion, MS Ghising directed the project management and all concerned parties to expedite works of the project with a target of completing it within mid-July 2025.
He said works are being carried out by preparing an integrated work schedule to ensure the project is completed within the deadline.
