Discussion on Accelerating the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project

Kathmandu: Stakeholders have held discussions regarding necessary initiatives to move the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, located between Dailekh and Achham districts, into the construction phase quickly and efficiently. Bakhat Bahadur Shahi, the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate for Dailekh Constituency No. 2, met with K.K. Sharma, the project head of GMR Company, to understand the current progress of the project.

During the meeting, Shahi stated that detailed discussions were held regarding the progress report to date, the challenges encountered, and future action plans. Shahi mentioned that the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, the Bhairabi Shiristhan Gas and Petrol Project, and the Dullu-Malika Solar Project are his top priority agendas, emphasizing that political initiative and coordination are essential to move these projects into construction on time.

Shahi also drew the attention of Project Head Sharma to the fact that locals are dissatisfied because the Indian company Gandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (GMR) has made no progress since receiving permission to develop the project through a global tender in 2008. He noted that these projects would contribute significantly to the overall economic development, job creation, and energy self-reliance of Dailekh and Achham.

During the meeting, Project Head Sharma provided information on the current status of the Upper Karnali Hydropower Project, the investment structure, and the possibilities for moving forward in the next phase. Both parties concluded that mutual cooperation and continuous dialogue are necessary to implement the project promptly.