KATHMANDU: Come winter, dark days and darker nights are a recurring annual phenomenon. But there is a silver ray of hope amid the all-pervasive doom and gloom.

Three engineering students have installed an alternative energy project — a 1.5 KW wind power facility — at Country Kitchen Resort in Lakuri Bhanjyang, which is located on the fringes of the Kathmandu

Valley. Amrit Singh Thapa led the trio, ably assisted by Bishow Kumar Shrestha and Nirjwal Mukarung, who assembled all the spare parts.

“We used wood to make the pole of the turbine. While, we made do with local products for other appliances,” said Singh Thapa. At 45 feet, the wind turbine is the tallest alternative energy contraption in the nation.

Nirjwal Mukarung is grateful to green activist Dawa Steven Sherpa for making the funds available for the project. Mukarung explained that 1.5 KW was quite a handful for Country Kitchen Resort, which was chosen primarily as a test site.

“The capacity is good enough to light 80 bulbs of 20-watt each. There is constant flow of electricity in the area since the wind velocity is at a consistent 4.5m per second. The wind blades are 11 feet in diameter,” said the

enterprising student.

Singh Thapa is optimistic that the experiment was a pointer to the nation’s huge alternative

energy potential, which could be successfully harnessed.

Will the policymakers take the young student’s suggestion

seriously?

Well, that remains a big

question.

A survey, conducted by these students, revealed that potential wind energy sites within the Kathmandu Valley and its vicinity are Phakhel in Makwanpur and Nagdhunga in Thankot.

“Bhaisepati Height, Pharping, Satdobato, Chapagaun Height, Sunakothi, Dhapakhel Height, Khumaltar Height, Koteshwor, Nagarkot, Lakuri Bhanjyang, Lubu, Lamatar, Nagdhunga, Thankot, Kalimati, Sundhara, Tundikhel, Swoyambhu and on the banks of the Bagmati River, too, can be ideal sites,” said

Bishwo Kumar Shrestha.

The trio felt that it did not take more than a week to put together these spare parts.

Buoyed by the success, they plan to install 5-10 KW wind

generator in Jomsom, headquarters of remote Mustang.

“All we need is a little encouragement from the government,” said the students in unison.