Lamjung, August 25

The government is set to cancel the licence of five hydro projects with a combined capacity of 651 MW in Lamjung and Manang districts.

The Department of Electricity Development under the Ministry of Energy is set to scrap the projects along the Marsyangdi corridor in the two districts as the promoters failed to work for years.

The hydro projects include the 282-MW Manang Marsyangdi project, the 138-MW Upper Marsyangdi project, the 50-MW Marsyangdi Beshi project, the 140-MW Lower Manang Marsyangdi project and the 41-MW Super Nyagdi project on the Marsyangdi River and Ngadikhola.

No work has been carried out so far to build embankments and powerhouses at the project sites. The projects are supposed to submit their documents regarding financial arrangement, environmental impact assessment report and power purchase agreement to the department.

Multi Model Developers Private Ltd had acquired the license of the 138-MW Upper Marsyangdi project; Dibyajyoti Hydro Power Company has got licence for the 50-MW Marsyangdi Beshi project; Manang Marsyangdi Hydro Company has licence for

the 282-MW Manang Marsyangdi project; and Butwal Power Company has licence for the 140-MW Lower Manang Marsyangdi project.

Lamjung Model Investment Company Chairman and Nepali Congress Lamjung district president Bhesh Bahadur Paudel asked the department to scrap the licence of promoters who had not started work even after obtaining the licence.

Many hydro projects, including the 30-MW Myardikhola project, the 42-MW Marsyangdi III project, the 26-MW Upper Khudi project and the 86-MW Madi Seti project have not started work. Work on the 600-MW Upper Marsyangdi II proposed to be constructed at a cost of Rs 85 billion by Himtal Hydro Power and Indian company GMR is yet to start. Various other hydro projects, including the 54-MW Super Dordi ‘B’ project,  the 27-MW Dordi project and the 30-MW Ngadi project are under construction in Lamjung.