Minister Ghising Considers Scrapping Contracts of Sunkoshi Marin, Bheri Babai Projects Over Prolonged Delays

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kulman Ghising said the government is considering terminating the contracts of two national pride projects—the Sunkoshi Marin and Bheri Babai multipurpose projects—after what he described as “unnatural delays” that have left the schemes far from completion.

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday with ministry secretaries, the Department of Irrigation’s director general, project chiefs, consultants, and contractors, Ghising warned that canceling the existing contracts and starting afresh may be the only option. He said the setbacks have deprived the nation of crucial benefits, such as providing irrigation water to the Tarai and boosting agricultural productivity.

“One side keeps blaming the other while contractors search for loopholes. How can construction progress in such a situation? The state has already invested billions of rupees, and if we calculate the interest alone, the losses are in billions more. Where is the financial analysis that was done at the start? What has happened to the projected returns?” asked Minister Ghising, who also holds the portfolios of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Urban Development.

Ghising noted that while tunnels for both projects have been completed, the dams, powerhouses, and other major structures remain unfinished, leaving the projects stranded. “The Tarai and Madhes face severe water shortages for irrigation. If the contractors had been committed, the work would have been finished. Instead, there is no intention to deliver. Extending deadlines makes no sense. Let’s cancel the contracts and move ahead,” he said.

The Bheri Babai tunnel was completed in September 2020. However, the contract for its dam and powerhouse construction, signed in July 2019 with China-based Guangdong Yutian–Raman JV, has achieved only 57 percent progress.

Similarly, construction of the Sunkoshi Marin project’s dam, powerhouse, and related structures has reached just 10 percent progress, even though nearly 60 percent of the contract period has already elapsed. The contractor for this project is Patel–Raman JV.