Kulekhani reservoir water level reduced by 5 meters

Kathmandu, September 28 — The Kulekhani reservoir has been reduced by 5 meters due to continuous rainfall. This reduction was achieved by generating electricity and opening two gates of the dam. The current water level in the Kulekhani reservoir is measured at 1,527.60 meters.

At 5 AM, the Kulekhani reservoir had overflowed, with a recorded water level of 1,531 meters, according to Tardatta Bhatta, the chief of the Kulekhani Hydropower (Project I). He noted that the water level has decreased by 5 meters over 10 hours.

Both gates of the dam have now been opened. Bhatta mentioned that the gates are opened 2 meters to maintain the water level. The reservoir, which is 300 meters wide and 7 kilometers long, has a capacity to hold water up to 1,530 meters above sea level.

After heavy rainfall throughout Friday, the reservoir reached overflow conditions. By 5 PM on Friday, the water level was measured at 1,525 meters, and it overflowed early Saturday morning.

"The current water level in Kulekhani is stable. The water is being released in proportion to what is collected from the catchment area," he stated. "The gates have been opened because the catchment area continues to receive rain, and the reservoir cannot collect additional water due to ongoing rainfall."

All three power plants operating at full capacity

All three electricity generation centers have been operated at full capacity to reduce the water level in Kulekhani. Power generation began on Friday evening as the water levels continued to rise.

According to Bhatta, the Kulekhani reservoir is now generating electricity at full capacity, producing a total of 106 megawatts: 60 megawatts from the first plant, 32 megawatts from the second, and 14 megawatts from the third. He confirmed that all three projects are continuously operating at full capacity.

The project is only activated when the country's electricity production is below demand. This time, due to the increased risk from the filled dam because of the rainfall, regular electricity production has commenced. Four days ago, Kulekhani generated 700 megawatts to mitigate risks. Only 46 meters of the collected water is used for electricity production.