By Ram Mani Dahal

Bhainse, Apr. 21

Construction works of tunnel and powerhouse of the 14-MW Kulekhani Hydroelectricity Project III have been intensified after the project garnered support from local people and political parties.

"We have completed about 10 per cent of the total construction works of the project," said Shyam Sundar Shrestha, chief of the project.

Located at Bhainse Village Development Committee (VDC) of Makawanpur district, the project was started in 2008.

Shrestha said that the project would be completed on time if the state mechanisms, locals, stakeholders’ committee and political parties extended their support to it.

The project aims to take water of the Kulekhani reservoir to the powerhouse after the Kulekhani I and II use the water.

In the beginning, the project had thought of taking water from the local Rapti river as well. But it has yet to decide on it.

The 2.3 billion project includes 75 per cent of shares of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), while the government owns the remaining shares.

A Chinese construction company-- Sino Hydro Corporation-- has undertaken the project construction works.

According to Shrestha, 400-metre long tunnel has been constructed so far.

But due to abundance of underground water, the tunnel construction works of the Project II have not been going smoothly.

The project has received permission to cut down 250 out of 500 trees. "We are in the process of taking permission to fell down rest of the trees," he said.

The NEA had wanted to develop the project to generate 45 MW of electricity, as it hoped to receive assistance from the Government of Japan. But when NEA failed to get the Japanese support, it started to work just to generate 14 MW.

The project will have completed by 2012. The project has provided 26 families of Sanutar with compensations.