PARBAT, June 5: Construction work on Madhya Modi Hydropower Project has resumed following an agreement between the project and locals of the affected are who had disrupted works on May 26. 

The two parties came to an agreement after Chaudhary Group, which is developing the 15.1 MW project, agreed to rebuild houses damaged by the project and give due compensation to owners of the house.

After tunnel construction works created cracks in wall of houses in Makha, Thana, Kalleni and Okhle of Wards 1 and 2 of Modi Rural Municipality, the locals had disrupted all works of the project.

It has been agreed that compensation amount would be fixed with reference to reports prepared by geology experts and technical team. However, some locals have been demanding for larger sum, stating that compensation amount projected by the teams will be sufficient. Six families have already received compensation. Altogether 28 households are affected.

Manohar Poudel, chief of District Coordination Committee, Parbat, said that his office had to follow up after both the sides failed to live up to their commitments. While locals had agreed not to disrupt project works, the project had expressed commitment to implement CSR works on priority basis, Poudel added. 

It was also decided that DCC Parbat would monitor reconstruction of houses.

According to the project, the dam will be at Birethanti which is located on boundary of Parbat and Kaski districts.

This is not the first time that construction work has been stalled. The project, which was estimated to start generation from November, 2017, will take at least one more year to complete. It has suffered from obstacles like boulder and limestone in tunnel and protest of employees. The project suffered further delay after one of the investors walked out of the project.  

Industrialist Binod Chaudhary had laid foundation stone for the project on November 23, 2014. The project is estimated to cost Rs 2.8 billion.

 
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