Upper Bhotekoshi may resume by Oct 25

KATHMANDU, Sept 6: Officials of the 45 MW Upper Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project have said that the disrupted power supply from the project will resume only by October 25, if everything goes as planned.

The transmission line damaged by the August 2 Sunkoshi landslide is now being rerouted through the left bank of the river.

Narendra Prajapati, the general manager of the project, said that the landslide had damaged only four pylons but they chose to reroute the transmission line by erecting seven pylons in view of the mounting losses caused by the supply disruption.

"We have started foundation works to erect pylons and have promised extra incentives to the contractor if the work is completed ten days before the October 25 deadline," added Prajapati.

The project has stated that by October 25, which will be 79 days since the supply disruption, the project will suffer a total loss of Rs 600 million. NEA on Friday increased the weekly load-shedding to 58 hours citing disruption in power supply from Upper Bhotekoshi.

The August 2 landslide had damaged two powerhouses and the transmission lines of four projects. Officials of the affected projects complained that the govenrment has not been doing enough to drain the lake formed by the landslide. Upper Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project said will cost the project around Rs 70 million to resume the disruption.

"If the authorities had drained the lake by 25 meters then it would be easier for the projects and the transmission lines to resume operations," said Khadga Bahadur Bista, the president of Independent Power Producers´ Association Nepal. The water level in the lake formed by the landslide had reached 55 meters.

Chief of the Load Dispatch Center of the Nepal Electricity Authority Bhuwan Kumar Chhetri said that load-shedding will not increase further until October 25 if there is no disruption in other hydropower projects.

"However, we will have to postpone a planned maintenance of the Lower Marshyangdi Hydropower Project during the festive season of Dashain and Tihar if the Upper Bhotekoshi failes to resume operation by October 25," said Chhetri.

Meanwhile, a unit of the 3.5 MW of NEA´s Sunkoshi Hydropower Project (10 MW) has been restored. The project´s iron gates that divert the water into the intake were swept away by the flood and landslide of August 2. NEA´s system is currently supplying 650 MW including imports from India.

Source: Republica