Upper Madi hydro project may miss deadline

POKHARA, April 28:

Officials of Upper Madi Hydropower Project have said the project won´t be completed within the stipulated deadline because of the loss incurred in Friday´s landslide.

Ram Raj Koirala, coordinator of the project, said they were yet to ascertain impact of the landslide on the project. Three laborers had died in the landslide, while 13 others were rescued after being trapped in the debris for 15 hours.

The project was supposed to complete by mid-April next year.

According to Koirala, this is not the first time that the project has faced disturbance. A laborer was killed by the landslide in August last year.

Construction of the 25-MW capacity project started in January 2012. China International Water and Electric Corporation has 80 percent stake in the project.

The remaining stakes are held by Nepal investors. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 6 billion.

Around 400 Nepalis and 150 foreigners are working in the project site.

Koirala said geologists would study geological structure of the project before resuming tunnel digging work. He further added that technical officials from China are arriving in the incident site soon to conduct necessary studies.

Source: Republica