As per the EIA, another 348.4 hectares, 3,511.3 hectares and 5,803.2 hectares will be inundated by the Rupaligadh re-regulatory dam, the Purnagiri re-regulatory dam and Purnagiri high-dam respectively. Together some 79 VDCs will be directly affected. The ratio of land inundation between Nepal and India will be 33 percent and 67 percent respectively. [break]
The EIA report is set to be released after three months.
Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Prasamsa Samrakshan Samuha to evaluate the impact of the Pancheshwar project in the far-western region, project in-charge Dilli Bahadur Singh informed that as per the EIA undertaken by the Department of Electricity Development (DED), community forests lying higher than 700 meters above sea level will be affected by planning for the project, with direct habitat loss to animals, birds and fishes.
On the social side, some 21,621 people will be displaced by the Pancheshwar project. Similarly, another 1,144 and 18,565 locals respectively will be displaced by the Rupaligadh and Purnagiri projects. In addition, 32.69 hectares of fertile land will be wiped out by the construction of the Patan-Pancheshwar assess road.
This will lead to a direct annual loss of Rs 460 million in agriculture production from the Pancheshwar and Rupaligadh re-regulatory dams and another Rs 560 million from the Pancheshwar and Purnagiri dams.
Singh informed that the DED has thus proposed a Detailed Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan and another Detailed Environment Management Plan to recommend impact minimization.
Singh, however, said, “Although the negative side of the project cannot be sidelined, the project in itself is one of the most viable and cost-effective.” He added, “The rate of return is estimated at 25.4 percent, which means the country will reap returns within three to four years.”
He said that while we are now importing electricity from India at a very high rate (IRs 6 per unit), the electricity cost after completion of Pancheshwar will be Rs 2.55 per unit.
He said the positive side of the project is that thousands of people will get employment, a 300 km ring road will be built, a cable-car line can be erected, 9,000 hectares of forest area can be developed and another 100-150 km south-north road will be built.
“The entire Pancheshwar site can be developed as a tourism destination,” Singh said.
India and Nepal recently formed the Pancheshwar Development Authority with its headquarters in Nepal to complete the Detailed Project Report on the project.
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