Sunkoshi-III Semi-Reservoir Project (683 MW): Preparations Underway For Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
September 26, 2021 | Investopaper
The preparations for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Sunkoshi-III (683 MW) Semi-Reservoir Power Project are underway.
The Department of Electricity Development has scheduled a public hearing in four districts under the project-affected area from today. Stakeholders have been requested to give their views and suggestions in the program organized in different places of Kavrepalanchok, Sindhupalchok, Ramechhap, and Sindhuli districts.
The project will affect the residents of three villages and two municipalities of Sindhupalchowk, three villages and two municipalities of Kavre, two villages of Ramechhap, and one village of Sindhuli.
The department had allocated Rs. 190 million for the study of Sunkoshi III and Sunkoshi II projects. It is estimated that it will cost Rs. 330 million to complete the study of both projects.
According to the department, the technical study of the project has been completed.
Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board have been assigned to make necessary preparations for trading electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh. After the two countries signed an agreement on cooperation in the energy sector in 2018, Bangladesh has been proposing to build a project of national pride with Nepal. The Sunkoshi III project, which is currently being studied at various stages by the Department of Electricity Development, is in the process of being constructed by the Bangladesh government in a joint venture.
Under the project, it is proposed to build a dam of the project on the Sunkoshi River which flows through Kavrepalanchok, Sindhupalchowk, Ramechhap, and Sindhuli under Bagmati Province, bordering Temal rural municipality-9 of Kavrepalanchok and Khandadevi rural municipality-1 Lubhughat of Ramechhap.
The proposed project will generate 683 MW of electricity from Sunkoshi-III. For the project, a dam of 484 meters long and 166 meters high will be constructed on the river at Lubhughat and 570 cubic meters per second of water will be taken to the powerhouse to be constructed near Lubhughat through a tunnel with a diameter of 1.1 km long. After generating about 683 MW of electricity, the water will be discharged back to Sunkoshi.
In 1985, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) conducted a feasibility study for the project. Sunkoshi is one of the 10 best reservoir-based power plants studied by JICA in Nepal.
Suggested Readings:
List Of Hydropower Projects In Nepal (Developed By Private Sector)
