Himalayan News Service

Nuwakot, January 10

Locals of Bungtang-1 Barchet are have produced electricity from micro-hydel project despite having two big hydropower projects in the district.

They said that they produced 12.5 KW electricity from the local Saalankhu river and have distributed it to all the households in the area.

According to a teacher at a local Saraswati secondary school, they do not have to use oil lamps and lanterns anymore.

"We can now listen radios and watch televisions too," the overjoyed teacher said.

The project, funded by United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and Local Development Fund (LDP), cost Rs 1.852 million, Shreeman Tamang, chairman of the consumer committee, said.

According to Tamang, the water from the river was brought from a canal to the electricity house from a distance of 6.5 metres and then taken uphill 48 metres via Penstock pipe for the production of electricity.

The 15-KW capacity turbine runs for 22 hours daily to produce 12.5 KW electricity, which is enough for the locals.

Though the district has two

big hydropower projects — 21-KW Trishuli and 14-KW Devighat Hydropower Projects — dozens

of VDCs do not have the electricity facility.

The courage shown by residents of Bungtang is praiseworthy and should be followed by others too.