Lamjung, Jan 11: Drilling of a major tunnel under the Super Dordi ‘B’ Hydropower Project in Lamjung has been carried out.    

The under-construction 54-megawatt project based in Dhodheni of Dordi rural municipality-6 of Lamjung, the hilly district in Gandaki Province, reports the completion of drilling of the 5.1 kilometres underground passage.    

Despite hurdles caused by the 2015 earthquake, and subsequent economic blockade on the southern border and the COVID-19 crisis, the project succeeded in making a breakthrough. According to the People’s Hydropower Company, the project developer works to dig the underground passage have been completed and it has been taken as a major achievement.    

Company managing director Keshab Bahadur Rayamajhi said they target to generate electricity within the next seven to eight months as the project so far reports 85 per cent progress.    

Fixing of equipment is going on for the project powerhouse. The flood from the river last July had caused damage to the project dam side and it is being restored.    

Nine banks including the Sanima (major investor) have invested in the project. The total investment of the project is Rs 8.80 billion. People of project-affected districts have invested Rs 270 million for the project.    

As per the Power Purchase Agreement, the project will supply power at eight rupees four paisa in the dry season and at four rupees eighty paisa during the summer monsoon. The total gross head of the run-of-the-river project is 640 meters and it has the capacity of producing around 315,000,000 units of electricity annually.