Dolakha, April 28

The Nepal Electricity Authority has begun construction of Tamakoshi-V Hydropower Project in Dolakha after establishing Tamakoshi Hydropower Company.

NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising said that though the project would generate 87 MW electricity in the preliminary phase, it would produce 100 megawatts by the time it reached production phase.

“The water from the powerhouse of Upper Tamakoshi Project through tail race will be sent to an underground tunnel at Suropdovan through an underground tunnel from Lamabagar’s Jagat,” said project chief Nashib Pradhan. Upper Tamakoshi’s main civil contractor Sino Hydro has started work on the underground intake of Tamakoshi-5, Pradhan added.

A 64.89 meter long transitional tunnel and underground inter-connection intake will be constructed. German company Lahmeyer Group has been hired as the project consultant.

Estimated to cost Rs 13 billion, Tamakoshi-V has become another economical project in Dolakha. Staff at the project say Tamakoshi-V would be a cheap project as it is going to be built without dam construction, with minimal loss to the environment and all the structures will be underground.

As per the Detailed Project Report, four units each with 25 megawatt capacity will be installed. In line with the statute of Upper Tamakoshi, two per cent share of the project has been ensured to the impoverished people, in addition to 10 per cent to the locals affected by the project, said NEA Executive Director Ghising.

Seven VDCs Gaurishankar, Lamabagar, Laduk, Bulung, Khare, Orang, and Surung will be affected by the hydropower project. The power generated from the Tamakoshi-V will be connected to Upper Tamakoshi’s substation through 132 KV single circuit transmission line.