Kathmandu. The Kaligandaki Reservoir-based Hydropower Project with a capacity of 640 Megawatts is to be constructed. Initially, the project was supposed to be 844 MW, but now it has been determined to be suitable for maintaining the capacity of 640 MW.

Currently, the environmental impact assessment report of the project is being prepared. The proposed project will be located at Urleni, Khangakot, Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-6, Gulmi and Bihadi Rural Municipality-2, Barrachaur Parbat area, some 10 kilometers upstream from the confluence of Seti River and Kaligandaki rivers. A total of 244 metres tall dam will be constructed at the project.

When the water accumulates in the dam, it will become a lake up to Khaniyaghat, which is 29 kilometers long. The net head of the project is 183.4 meters. The discharge will be 405 cubic meters per second and the total annual energy production will be equivalent to 1,645.65 gigawatt hours, according to the project.

Four steel pen stocks, powerhouse and four principal turbines have been proposed for the project. The powerhouse of the project has been proposed at Barrachaur of Bihadi Rural Municipality. The project will affect different wards of Jaljala rural municipality, Kushma municipality, Phalebas municipality and Bihadi rural municipality.

Similarly, different wards of Baglung municipality and Jaimini municipality will be affected. Kaligandaki Rural Municipality of Gulmi and Galyang Municipality of Syangja will be affected. The Department of Electricity Development and consultants JV SMEK International and Zed Consult are doing the feasibility study and environmental evaluation of the project.

The proposed project will be accessible via Prithvi Highway, Pokhara-Baglung road section, Dobilla-Phalebas road, Kaligandaki Highway and Kaligandaki corridor.