PANCHTHAR: The three hydropower projects supplying power to Kabeli Corridor transmission line are generating electricity below their capacity following the recession in the flow of river water.

Kabeli B1 hydropower project of 25 megawatts capacity, 10MW capacity Iwa Khola hydel project, and 5MW capacity Fawa Khola project have stopped producing power to their full capacity.

According to Engineer Sushant Thakur in Kabeli Corridor, production of electricity from the three projects has declined by 15MW up until November-end.

Thakur further added that production has decreased by 500 Kilowatts in Fawa Khola while it has declined by 14.5MW from Iwa and Kabeli jointly. The production from Iwa and Kabeli is measured jointly as they have a single metre at Kabeli Corridor.

Fawa, Iwa and Kabeli are now producing only 25MW of the total 40MW capacity, further added engineer Thakur.

According to locals, the water level is falling rapidly due to lack of adequate rainfall in the district while the collected water is being absorbed underground. Compared to previous years, the district has yet to witness snowfall this year and that might lead to a further reduction in power output in the upcoming days.

The electricity generated in the power plants is collected at the 132 KVA Kabeli Corridor transmission line located in Amarpur of Hilihang Rural Municipality-1 in Panchthar district. The generated electricity is then connected to the national grid at Damak in Jhapa via the transmission line.

The power collected in Amarpur is combined with 37 MW from Thapatar in Panchthar, 85 MW in Ilam and a total of 160 MW power produced in the eastern hilly districts reaches Damak in Jhapa.