Myagdi. Myagdi: The construction of two hydropower projects with a capacity of 58.8 MW on Rahughat and its tributaries flowing through Raghuganga rural municipality of Myagdi has been completed. Three more projects of 111 MW capacity are in the final stages of construction.

The 37.5 MW Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangale hydropower project constructed by Tudipawar Company and the 21.3 MW Bigkhola Hydropower Project of The United Energy Limited have started commercial production.

The switchyard of Rahughat Hydropower Project at Tilkenichaur of Raghuganga Rural Municipality-3 has been temporarily connected to the national system. Prakash Timilsina, resident engineer of Tundi Power, said that the dandakhet-Rahughat transmission line project has not been completed and the electricity generated is connected to the national system through a temporary structure to avoid wastage.

An eight-kilometre 132 KV transmission line from Bandi to Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangale power house has been constructed by The Bigkhola Hydropower Project and the 22.5 MW Upper Barokhola Hydropower Project in partnership. The 220 kV transmission line from Chimkhola to Tilkeni has been constructed by The Bigkhola, Upper Barokhola, Chimkhola-Rahughat-Mangale and Upper Rahughat Hydropower Projects.

Binod Poudel, plant manager of Joint Energy, the promoter of The Big khola Hydropower Project at Kuinemangale of Raghuganga rural municipality-8, said the project has been operated at full capacity.

Sunrise Bank, Rastriya Banijya Bank and Siddhartha Bank have invested in the project. The 3,382-meter tunnel and 634-meter penstock pipe of the dam at the foot of the border area of Kuinemangale and Chimkhola have been diverted to the power house constructed at Chhari to generate electricity.

A 950-metre penstock pipeline has been constructed to pump water brought from a 5-km-300-metre-long tunnel of The Chimkhola-Mangale-Rahughat Hydropower Project at Bandi of Raghuganga Rural Municipality-8 to the power house at Bagar in Chimkhola of Raghuganga Rural Municipality-7. The 48.5 MW Upper Rahughat Hydropower Project, which is the promoter of Tundi Power along with Chimkhola-Mangale-Rahughat, is estimated to cost Rs 14 billion.

Meanwhile, Upper Rahughat is preparing for test production. Raghuganga Hydro Promoter 40 MW Rahughat and 22.5 MW Upper Borokhola hydropower projects, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority( NEA), are also in the final stages of construction.