Mirmi and Beltari bazaars, at Shreekrishna Village Development Committee (VDC) of Syanjha district, enthusiastically changed with the onset of Kali Gandaki ‘A’ hydro-electricity project. But, now they are found to be deserted after the project is coming to an end. While the project was under way, they were the main commercial centres for the people working in the project.

The project began in 1999 and now is near to its completion. Nepal Electricity Authority informed that the project will be completed by next March.

In the eve of starting the project, a blacktopped road was constructed to connect the way from the Siddhartha highway to Mirmi and Beltari and consequently the habitation of people increased in the area. Increased peoples’ habitation developed the place as commercial centre, but with the project finishing its work, the possibility of the number of people travelling will decrease rampantly.

Bharat Pathak, who had a shop at Baling, had shifted his business to Mirmi after the initiation of the project. Pathak was doing good business and made more profits at Mirmi than ever before. But now, he is worried about the downfall of his business. He said, “ I had come here with the hope of doing good business, but now business scenario has turned to be gloomy. I am much worried about where I should go to do profitable business.”

He is not unknown about the fact that the business activities had augmented due to the operation of the hydro-electricity project and has also known that the business has fallen down just because of the concluding days of the project. However he added, “I am worried because of the radical reduction of economic activities.”

Debilitating business scenario has not worried only Pathak but also has affected 600 businessmen of the region.

Apart from the change in the form of the market from village to urban-like, the hydro-electricity project had changed the lifestyle of common people of the region, too. The project has renamed the market as ‘Italy Chowk’ and ‘Powerhouse Area’.

The people of the region, who were living far from the facilities of transportation, drinking water, communications and electricity, uplifted their life standards along with getting above-mentioned facilities.

The project gave the chances to local populace of earning money by selling home products at local market and also gave employment to the locals in the project.

Now the situation is likely to be distressing because the life standards of people have decreased along with the reduction in business activities.

The project has granted employments for 300 locals but now the employees are worrying about the coming dim future they are to face. Devi Prasad Neupaney stated that the project had given him a new lease of life but now he is seeing gloomy days to face.