By Our Correspondent, Charikot (Dolakha), June 29: Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project being constructed in Lamabagar of Bigu Gaunpalika of Dolakha district has completed the most difficult task of fitting penstock pipes in its vertical tunnel.

The project has completed the remaining task of fitting penstock pipe in the upper vertical tunnel of the project on Sunday afternoon while it had completed the pipe fitting in lower vertical tunnel one month ago.

The task of fitting the penstock pipes in 310m long upper vertical shaft and 374m long lower vertical tunnel has been completed, said Dr Ganesh Neupane, spokesperson of the project.

The completion deadline of the project had been pushed time and again due to the delay in hydro-mechanical works of fitting penstock pipe in vertical tunnel and digging 90 degree vertical tunnel of the project.

According to Neupane, 5m long 74 penstock pipe in lower vertical shaft and 62m pipe in upper vertical shaft have been installed. The weight of a pipe installed is up to 27 tonne, he said.

He shared that seven attempts to dig vertical tunnel had failed. The difficult works have been completed, therefore we are hoping to start power generation from one unit by mid-November if all goes smoothly, he said.

Neupane said that around 95.5 per cent works of the entire project including transmission line had been completed so far.

The run of the river project has the installed capacity of generating 456 MW electricity from six turbines. The project can operate in its full capacity for four hours also in the dry season.