400 MW Devghat Hydel Project

Bharatpur: Entrepreneurs, business persons and locals have started discussion on initiatives for construction of the 400 MW Devghat Hydroelectricity Project here at the confluence of Trishuli and Kaligandaki rivers in the district.
To take necessary initiatives for the project, a five-member task force has been formed under the chairmanship of Mitraraj Dawadi, the chairman of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Narayangadh chapter.

Dawadi said the feasibility study of the project was completed in 1983. 'The project did not start then due to fear of inundation in Devghat areas,' he added.

According to Dawadi, they have requested the government and investors to pour funds to develop the project. Hydropower expert Gyanendra Lal Pradhan said the government should undertake responsibility for building the project. 'There will be no progress in hydropower sector in the country if we depend on foreign investment only,' he claimed.

Engineer Hariprasad Pandit said the estimated cost of the project is about 40 billion rupees. 'Residents of Chitwan concluded that locals can invest up to 30 percent of the total cost while the government has been requested to bear the rest,' said Dawadi.