Myagdi. Five hydropower projects with a capacity of 162 megawatts have been constructed in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 of Myagdi district. Another 63.3 MW hydropower project is under construction while two projects with a capacity of 173.14 MW are under construction.

According to Annapurna-4 Ward Chairman Lok Bahadur Pun, the construction of 5 MW Ghalemdi Khola, 42 MW Mrishti Khola, 38 MW Nilgiri-1, 71 MW Nilgiri-2 and 6 MW Relekhola hydropower projects have come into operation.

The 66.3 MW Kaligandaki Hydropower Project is under construction. Construction of 9.14 MW Super Ghalemdi Hydropower Project is underway. Ward chair Pun said that a proposal has been made to construct the powerhouse of 164 MW Kaligandaki Gorge Hydropower Project at Narchyang.

The construction and under-construction hydropower projects have transformed Narchyang. Ward chair Pun said that hydropower projects have made significant contribution to the overall development of physical infrastructure, social, economic and agriculture.

“We have not only crossed the cliff that we had not imagined, but employment and income opportunities have also been created in every household,” he said, adding, “People who have entered the cities and abroad in search of opportunities and employment have started returning to the villages.” Migration has stopped. ’

A school of technical subject and a building of a health institution have been constructed in the village. The infrastructures including roads, bailey bridges and buildings constructed by the hydropower project have benefited the locals. Local leader Tej Gurung said that the economic status of the villagers has been changed through land compensation, trade, agriculture, livestock, hotel, restaurant, contract, transportation, transport business, share investment and wage earning.

As per the constitutional provision, the federal government will distribute 50 per cent of the royalty paid by hydropower projects to the government and 25÷25 per cent to the provinces and municipalities. Prabha Secondary School based in Narchyang has been conducting hydro engineering courses.

Narchyang was connected to the road network after the Mirstikhola Hydropower Project constructed a bailey bridge over the Kaligandaki river in 2071 BS. Two more bailey bridges have been constructed along the border of Besi and Patar and two more bailey bridges from the dam to the tunnel. Annapurna Base Camp has been developed as a new tourism destination after the Nilgiri River Hydropower Project constructed an access road to Humkhola via Chhotepa.

Shyam Purja, a ward member, said that the road leading to the construction site of the Relekhola Hydropower Project has been connected to the road network from the Besi of Narchyang to Lekgaun. Locals have invested promoter shares in the Ghalemdi and Mristi Khola hydropower projects as residents of the affected areas. The promoters of the Nilgiri I, Second and Relekhola Hydropower Projects are in the process of issuing shares.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has constructed a substation at Dana in the neighbouring ward of Narchyang district to connect the electricity generated from the Kaligandaki and surrounding rivers to the national grid. The electricity generated from the 220 KV substation that was completed in 2077 BS has been connected to central grid.

Pramod Shrestha, former vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and operator of Ghalemdikhola project Pramod Shrestha, said that after the construction of substation and transmission line in Annapurna-3 of Myagdi and Khurkot of Kushma-2 of Parbat, investors have increased in the construction of hydropower projects.