Rasuwa, 14 February: The Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project has been benefiting the people of Rasuwa by implementing various programs to improve their living standards.
The project is helping to improve the living standards of locals in the project area by providing training in driving large and small vehicles, repairing various vehicles, wiring, welding, sewing, decorating, and Korean and Japanese language training.
Mar Singh Tamang, chairman of Uttargaya-1, where the hydropower project is being constructed, says that the people of Rasuwa have benefited from the development work, including skill-based training. He believes that the people of Rasuwa will never forget the support provided by the project in the areas of education, health, employment, roads, and environment, and that the project will continue to provide support in the development and employment sectors of Rasuwa.
Chairman Tamang said, “Despite being close to Kathmandu, we have always been neglected as remote and backward residents. Our fate should be ours. Where did this project come from? How did it come about? It provided unexpected support. On behalf of the locals, I would like to express my gratitude with a commitment to support the project.”
The project has stated that it has provided skill and employment-based training to 121 workers involved in the construction work at a cost of Rs 8.143 million under the policy and program to make the affected local people self-reliant. Out of about 1,000 local workers involved in the hydropower project, 154 are currently working according to their capacity. The skill-based training program will be continued, keeping in mind the needs and resources of the remaining manpower.
Project General Manager Giriraj Adhikari said that the ‘Upper Trishuli-One’ under construction in Rasuwa has been providing all possible assistance to improve the social, economic and educational conditions of the affected people in the Tamang-dominated area under the social responsibility program.
According to the General Manager Adhikari, maximum efforts have been made to address the demands of the affected people by providing religious, cultural and environmental protection, provision of drinking water, construction of schools and hostels, awareness programs including health camps, and construction of roads and bridges.
The project has stated that Rs. 25 million has been spent under the local indigenous and nationalities community livelihood improvement program and that it will continue the program. It has stated that it has provided humanitarian services by providing relief materials to the local residents around the hydropower project, who were affected by the 2072 BS earthquake, even before the project was constructed. The project has clarified that Rs. 20 million has been spent so far in implementing programs selected by the locals.
Similarly, the project has constructed the first ‘Motorable Bailey Bridge’ on the Trishuli River in Hakubesi for the convenience of local residents and a hostel building on the road, Dhunche. It has also provided 0.16 hectares of its own land for the construction of the Hakubesi police post building with the aim of helping maintain peace and security, informed General Manager Adhikari.
The project has provided Rs 5.5 million, including a motor vehicle (jeep), to Langtang National Park for using the base area of the park. It has also provided Rs 497,000 to the District Police Office, Rasuwa for ensuring security arrangements, Rs 1.3 million to local religious organizations, Rs 615,000 for water supply improvement, Rs 25 million for implementing plans selected by the local community, and Rs 170 million for running people-centered programs such as educational and skill-based programs.
The construction of the 216 MW project, estimated to cost a total of 647.3 million US dollars, began in December 2078. General Manager Adhikari said that 52 percent of the project, which started with the construction of underground structures, has been completed.
According to the concerned technician, about eight km of the nine.1 km ‘headrace’ tunnel of the project has been completed. The construction of the power generation structure at Mailung, a dam on the Trishuli River, is ongoing. The project aims to generate electricity by the month of Mangsir 2083 BS(November 2026).
General Manager Adhikari informed that the project will generate 104 megawatts of electricity in the dry season and 216 megawatts in the rainy season. Nine international companies are involved in the construction of the project, for which the Korean company ‘Doosan’ has provided a loan of 453.2 million US dollars.
Dusan Executive Officer Byung Su Min expressed confidence that the project will be successful in generating electricity within the stipulated time frame with the support of the government, private sector, and locals, thereby making Nepal’s economy dynamic.
