Khotang. 6.6 MW of hydropower has been produced from Sapsukhola in Rajapani, Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-11. The electricity from the Sapsukhola Hydropower Project, produced by the promoter company Three-Star Hydropower Company, was connected to the national transmission line in December 2078 BS.
The hydropower produced from the power house in Beldanda, Rajapani, was connected to the national transmission line through a substation built 2.5 kilometers above the old village of Rajapani. It is reported that the work of the Sapsukhola Hydropower Project has been completed with an investment of about Rs 1.5 billion.
The water brought from the Sapsukhola, four kilometers away, to Beldanda was pumped at a rate of 7,000 liters per second through an 110-meter penstock to produce 6.6 megawatts of hydropower. It has been found that the promoter company that built a dam in the Sapsukhola in Basuwa, Rajapani, and produced hydropower by drying up the water in the river itself.
Although there is a provision to release at least ten percent of the water into the river while producing hydropower, all the water was diverted towards the dam. It is said that the problem arose in Sapsukhola after the hydropower development company started generating hydropower without releasing water into the river since its establishment. Local Kumar Budhathoki has complained that farming has become difficult after the hydropower project dried up the river to generate electricity.
“The water in the parts below the dam of the hydropower project operating in Sapsukhola has dried up, causing problems. Not only that. The project has not even implemented the agreement made at the District Police Office earlier,” he said. “After operating the hydropower project by diverting water to dry up the river, we have not been able to irrigate our fields at the time we need. This has even caused problems in planting Chaite rice this year.”
Locals have said that they have informed the District Administration Office about the promoter company drying up the water in the river to operate the hydropower project. Khotang Chief District Officer Narahari Ghimire said that he has not received any information from any body about the hydropower project draining the river.
The Sapsukhola is one of the rivers in the district that has the highest fish catch. Locals have reported water problems for birds and wild animals after the water dried up in the area of about 4,200 meters from the dam to the dam. Pradeep Dahal, the local head of the project that generates hydropower from the Sapsukhola by drying up the river, said that the water flow in the river has decreased during the winter. “We have not drained the dam to drain the river. However, the water in the river has decreased due to the dry season,” he said. “We have released at least ten percent of the water in the river. This cannot be said to be a violation of the agreement.” Three hydropower projects, including the Sapsukhola Hydropower Project, produced from Sapsukhola River in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality-11 Rajapani, have been connected to the national transmission line from the district.
Along with the Sapsukhola Hydropower Project, the three-megawatt capacity Rawakhola Hydropower Project, produced from Rawakhola River on the border of Kepilasgadhi Rural Municipality-6 Dipsung and Ward No. 7 Sungdel, and the one-megawatt capacity Sapsukhola Hydropower Project, produced from Mewakhola River in Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality-5 Lafyang, have been connected to the central transmission line. Locals have complained that the Rawakhola Hydropower Project has not released water into the river as per the standards. After receiving complaints from locals, the Rawakhola Hydropower Project operator was contacted and instructed to release at least ten percent of the water as per the standards, informed Pradya Ghimire.
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