Super Ghalemdi Hydropower Project Construction Accelerates in Myagdi

Myagdi. The construction process of the Super Ghalemdi Hydropower Project with a capacity of 9.14 megawatts in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi has gained momentum.

The project, promoted by Super Ghalemdi Hydropower Company Private Limited, has now started excavating the access road connecting the confluence of Ghaleadi and Relekhola in Narchyang to the proposed dam site at the foot of Annapurna Himal. Out of the total 5 kilometers 500 meters long access road, work on a two-kilometer section has been completed, and buildings required for staff accommodation have also been prepared.

According to Prakash Bhattarai, the project's resident engineer, the work of cutting hills is currently underway to bring the road to the powerhouse construction site and prepare the land. "After excavating the access road, we are preparing to advance the work on the dam, powerhouse, penstock pipeline installation, and transmission line construction at a parallel pace," Bhattarai said. The project is targeted to be completed within the next two years, with an estimated cost of one billion 800 million rupees. Water brought through a 4-kilometer 200-meter long pipeline from the dam will be dropped from a height of 420 meters to the powerhouse to generate electricity.

All the land required for the project falls in the public domain. Out of the 1,400 trees in the construction site, permission has been obtained for the felling of 546, while the process for the remaining trees is underway. Proposals have been made to Global IME and Machhapuchchhre Bank for financial management, with 70 percent of the total cost being loan and 30 percent being equity. Additionally, the project will also provide an opportunity for 10 percent share investment for the residents of the affected area.

In Narchyang, which is becoming a 'hub' for hydropower, five projects with a total capacity of 162 megawatts have already come into operation. According to Ward Chairman Lok Bahadur Pun, Ghalemdi Khola, Mistri Khola, Nilgiri-1 and 2, and Relekhola projects have started production. Besides these, the 66.3 MW Madhya Kaligandaki is under construction, and the 184 MW Kaligandaki Gorge project is also in preparation for construction."