Budhi Ganga Hydropower Project Prioritized in Budget

Dhangadhi. For 29 years, there has been talk of generating 20 megawatts of electricity from the Budhi Ganga river flowing in Achham and Bajura of Sudurpaschim. This project, whose study began in 2052 BS, remained on paper for many years.

The government led by Balen Shah has prioritized the Budhi Ganga Hydropower Project in the budget with the goal of completing it within 42 months.

This project, considered a pride project of Sudurpaschim, has not gained momentum for a long time. Now, the government has stated that it will expedite the construction work by keeping it as a special priority in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The government's goal is to complete all design, procurement, and construction work within 42 months.
Rabin Shah of Melalek Rural Municipality-3 in Achham now seems confident that the project work will move forward.

'For years, we only heard the name of this project, and work could not move forward. Seeing the work start now, the hope of our district getting electricity has been raised,' he said.

Like him, many residents of Achham and Bajura seem optimistic that if this project is completed on time, the economic condition here will improve.

Due to past unfulfilled assurances, some locals are still not convinced this time. Min Bahadur Khadka of Sanphe in Achham is still skeptical that the work can be completed in 42 months.

'We have been hearing about Budhi Ganga for almost three decades. The work has been progressing at a snail's pace. It is said that the contract has been awarded now, but there is no basis for belief until the work is done on time,' he said.

Mayor of Sanphebagar Municipality, Rajendra Kunwar, also says that the work has gained momentum now. According to him, the construction entrepreneur has started work by setting up a camp at the work site.

'Detailed survey of the project is currently underway. According to the construction entrepreneur, its report will come within a month. The office has been established and employees have been deployed in the field. This time, both the government and the construction company appear serious,' said Mayor Kunwar.

Mayor Kunwar states that this project is important not only for Sudurpaschim but for the entire country. It directly connects Sanphebagar Municipality and Melalek Rural Municipality of Achham and Budhi Ganga Municipality of Bajura.

The dam of the project will be built in Budhi Ganga Municipality of Bajura and on the border of Achham, while the tunnel will be dug in Melalek Rural Municipality of Achham. Similarly, the powerhouse is also designed to be in Melalek. The main office of the project has been established in Sanphebagar Municipality-10.

According to Mayor Kunwar, after the project starts, it will also provide a great boost to the internal income sources of the local level. The municipality will be able to collect good revenue from the consumption of riverine materials such as stones, gravel, and sand required during construction.

'This will not only increase our municipality's income but also provide employment opportunities to hundreds of locals,' said Mayor Kunwar.

The investment structure of the Budhi Ganga project is also very large. Investment agreements were made with Kuwait Fund for 1.80 billion in 2012 and with Saudi Fund for 6 billion rupees in 2014. In this project, estimated to cost a total of 10 billion rupees, 80 percent will be foreign loan and 20 percent will be investment from the Nepal government. This project, which has been stuck in compensation and contract process for many years, is now moving forward in the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model.
In this model, a single construction company takes responsibility for everything from design to procurement and construction.

Chinese company Superpower Engineering and Nepal's Baniyan Construction Service have jointly undertaken this work. The government's policy of taking action against those who delay work this time has also made the construction entrepreneurs actively engaged. Although the loan agreement period has expired, the government has extended the deadline until 2027.

This project, which could not be contracted even after calling for tenders three times in the past, has now entered the construction phase. After a long wait of three decades, the dream of generating electricity from the water of Budhi Ganga is moving towards realization.