KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Construction of the 37 MW Upper Myagdi Hydropower Project has begun in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi. Promoted by Hydro Empire Pvt Ltd, the project was launched by Gandaki Provincial Assembly member and former minister Resham Bahadur Jugjali for the construction of a 4-kilometer-long tunnel connecting the Simkosh Dobhan dam to Ghimleti.
The construction of the dam, tunnel and power house has been started with the target of completion by mid-April 2026. According to the project, two bailey bridges of 50 and 30 metric tons capacity have been installed over the Myagdi River and the project construction site has been connected by an access road.
Upper Myagdi, in collaboration with Upper Myagdi-1 and Myagdi Khola Hydropower Projects, has constructed an access road of about 21 kilometers from Bharwang in Malika Rural Municipality-7 to near Bagar village via Kalleni, Chhahari, Khara, Khamla and Naura.
The project, which is estimated to cost a total of Rs 6.699 billion, will have an investment of Rs 5.348 billion from Siddhartha Bank, Nepal SBI Bank, Citizens Bank, Everest Bank and Nabil Bank, in addition to the promoter and public shares.
The project, which will have 70 percent debt and 30 percent equity investment, is anticipated to generate 215.714 gigawatt-hours of electricity upon completion.
Likewise, a 132 kV capacity substation is being constructed in Malika Rural Municipality-7, Dadakhet by the Nepal Electricity Authority to connect the generated electricity to the central grid through a 132 kV single circuit transmission line 9.2 kilometers from the power plant to the Dadakhet substation.