Trees to be removed for Tanahun Hydropower Project transmission line construction

Tanahun. Nine thousand one hundred twenty-seven trees will be removed for the construction of the transmission line under the Tanahun Hydropower Project. The project has received permission to acquire land use rights for 92.7 hectares of forest area falling in Tanahun and Chitwan for the construction of the transmission line under Package Three of the project, and to remove the nine thousand one hundred twenty-seven trees located there.

Project Chief Shyamji Bhandari informed that an agreement was recently signed between Tanahun Hydropower Limited and the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation to acquire forest land and remove vegetation falling in Chitwan and Tanahun districts for the construction of towers and right-of-way for the Damouli-Bharatpur 220 KV transmission line, as per the Cabinet decision.

Bhandari stated that correspondence has been made with the Division Forest Office, Chitwan, for the implementation of the agreement. The construction of the transmission line was facing problems due to the lack of this decision.

The contractor for this package, KEC International Limited India, has completed the foundation work for 78 out of 94 towers and the erection work for 69 towers along the 33-kilometer Damouli-Bharatpur 220 KV transmission line, Bhandari said, adding that the overall progress of this package is 75 percent.

Work is underway in three packages of the Tanahun Hydropower Project. For Package One, Soangda Kalika JV is carrying out the work on the dam and related structures. Bhandari stated that this package has achieved 54 percent progress. The construction work for cutting the hill for the main dam, access road, temporary dam required to divert the Seti River's flow, and two diversion tunnels has been completed.

The Seti River was diverted on B.S. 2080 Kartik 20 for the construction of the main dam. It is reported that the construction of the temporary dam on the upper and lower reaches of the main dam was completed in B.S. 2081 Jestha.

For Package Two, Sino Hydro Corporation China is working on the powerhouse and related equipment. Bhandari stated that the excavation work for underground structure construction has been completed, and the civil construction work for most structures is finished. The main concreting work for structures such as the powerhouse, cable tunnel, surge tank, and tailrace has been completed, with this package achieving 73 percent progress.

According to Bhandari, the civil work for the powerhouse is nearly complete, while the electromechanical work is ongoing. Work such as installing the roof and water drainage at the powerhouse is currently underway.