Lamjung, July 18:

The construction of Mid-Marsyangdi Hydro Electricity Project (MHEP) has reached its final stage.

According to an official of the project, 97 per cent of the construction work has been completed.

“To complete the project within 2008, construction is going on round the clock,” MHEP deputy director Gosain KC said.

The task of filling stones in three dam sites was in the final phase, KC added.

The task of installing wires in transmission towers and some other tasks were yet to be completed, he added. As many as 115 transmission towers have been constructed so far. As the construction work is nearing completion, the number of workers has been slashed to 500 from 1,500.

The construction of the project began in 2001 with an estimated cost of Rs 13.65 billion.

However, the costs nearly doubled after the construction could not be completed on schedule in 2006 due to strikes and technical reasons. A total of Rs 27 billion have already been spent for the construction of the 72-MW project.