Jumla. The 38.07 MW Tila Hydropower Project will be constructed on the border of Tila Rural Municipality of Jumla and Tilagufa Municipality of Kalikot district.

Surendra Dev Bhatta, consultant of Tila Hydropower Project and environmentalist Surendra Dev Bhatta, said that the first phase preliminary environmental test report of the affected areas of Tilagufa municipality 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 of Kalikot district was held today.

A feasibility study for the construction of Tila Hydropower Project has already been carried out four years ago. According to Bhatta, the design discharge of the proposed project is 52.51 cubic meters per second.

The project was approved by the Department of Electricity Development under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in 2078 BS. According to Motilal Rokaya, chairperson of Tila Rural Municipality, the project will benefit from the project from local to national level as it will have a positive impact on employment, royalty, shares, community support program and income generation from the trade and business of the local people.

The generated electricity will be connected to the substation at Jumla Bazaar through a 132 kV single circuit transmission line. The water released from the powerhouse will be released into the Punartila River through a 25-meter long tailrace tunnel. All the structures of the project will be located on the left bank of the Tila River. Gopi Prasad Shah, under-secretary at the Department of Electricity Development, said that the total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 7.56 billion.

The electricity generated by the project will be connected to Jumla Bazaar through a 30.20 km long 132 KV single circuit transmission line. A total of 7.585 hectares of land is required for the construction of the project. This includes 4.772 hectares of forest land and 2.813 hectares of private land, according to the Department’s undersecretary Shah. Special priority will be given to the local people in employment. During the construction period, the local people will be able to carry out business directly and indirectly. This is expected to increase the income of the locals, said Khumbilal Rokaya, ward chairperson of Tila rural municipality-7.

A total of 34 households will be directly affected by the planning and operation. According to the Tila Hydropower Project, the details of the houses directly affected have been pasted at the concerned ward offices of the project-affected areas. According to the project, the construction of the Tila Hydropower Project will begin after the completion of the study period.