September 23: Locals of Sankhuwasabha district have urged the Energy Minister to expedite the 1,061-megawatt Upper Arun Hydropower Project at the earliest.    
The half-reservoir hydropower project is likely to be constructed at Chonggrak of Bhotekhola Rural Municipality-4 in Sankhuwasabha district. A high-level team led by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal had visited the construction site on Wednesday (September 22) when the locals made such request.    
The locals have assured full cooperation to the team comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance, World Bank and secretaries of the concerned ministries for the construction of the hydro power project.    
A stakeholder forum's chair Ladar Bhote said that they were eager to use the electricity produced by the project in their soil.

"We are hopeful that the project would bring about good changes in the locality. The health and education sector are likely to undergo reforms due to the project," said Bhote, pledging utmost cooperation from their side for the project.    
Minister Bhusal, in response, said the project would be constructed once they conclude a detail study of the project that was underway and discussion on investment modality that was also in the offing.    
She assured that the locals would be benefitted from the Upper Arun Hydro Power Project and called for their cooperation for the project which she claimed to be a 'game-changer'.    
Nepal Electricity Authority's auxiliary company Arun Hyrdo Electric Company has been entrusted with the responsibility to construct the project where the general public will have 49 per cent shares.    
 For the investment, discussions are being held with the World Bank and the European Union for loan in subsidized rate while the Citizen’s Investment Trust, Employees Provident Fund are also the likely investors for the project.    
The federal government, provincial government and the local government will also invest in the semi-storage project which is expected to generate over 4.5 billion units of electricity annually.    
The World Bank is expected to provide over US$ 13.1 million loan at subsidized rate for the project. The project is expected to commence within 2023 and will most likely be completed by 2030. The project requires 180 hectares of land and is said to displace a total of 25 households.    
The visiting team included secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Devendra Karki, Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Madhu Kumar Marasini, World Bank's vice chairperson for South Asia region Hartwig Schafer, World Bank's executive director Mohd Hassan among others. The team also inspected the site where the main physical structure and power production house would be built. --RSS