KATHMANDU, July 9: Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project has achieved 70 percent progress in construction of its physical infrastructure almost three years after the expiry of the initial deadline to complete the work. With the extended deadline, the project is expected to complete its construction in the next three years.
Hari Bahadur Thapa, information officer of the project, said the physical progress of the project stands at 70 percent and the financial progress at 57 percent.
The construction of the project’s tunnel has been completed, while the civil construction work, hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical work are ongoing. The pre-approval process for the environmental impact assessment of the transmission line construction has already started.
Progress of Sunkoshi Marine Diversion Multipurpose Project dam...
During his field visit to the project site last week, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha instructed the concerned authority to expedite the construction process.
The project aims to provide irrigation facilities to about 51,000 hectares of land in Banke and Bardiya district throughout the year. The project proposes diverting water of the Bheri River into the Babai River by constructing a 12-kilometer-long tunnel.
Meanwhile, a 1.7 km stretch of 132 kV transmission line is to be constructed to connect the electricity generated from the national pride project to the national transmission system. The electricity generated from the project will be connected to the Kohalpur-Surkhet 132 kV transmission line constructed by the Nepal Electricity Authority.
The project aims to provide irrigation facilities along with generating about 46.8 megawatts of electricity. The proposed transmission line will have nine towers. Out of these, three will be in the main area of the Bardiya National Park and the remaining six will be in the buffer zone of the park.
The transmission line will affect Bheriganga Municipality-5 of Surkhet and Bardiya National Park, which lie within the periphery of an 18 meters area under the authorized section for the transmission line.
According to the contract agreement with Guangdong Yuwangteering-Raman JV, the construction of this structure was supposed to be completed by August 14, 2023. However, the construction delay has been attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 as well as dilly-dallying of the contractor company.
