Rasuwa. Reconstruction and repair of 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project has been expedited after the floods in Lhende River last year.

The flood had caused damage to the dam structure at Bhotekoshi rivulet affecting the production of the project. According to the project, works to clear the obstruction piled up at the dam site are moving ahead at a rapid pace. According to project executive chief Satyaram Jyakhwa, obstacles accumulated in the dessilting basin have been removed and the headrace tunnel and equipment related to power generation have also been cleaned.

Construction of walls on both sides is underway to protect the bridge on the access road to the dam and power house.

The project had started commercial production on January 30, 2081. However, the project was completely shut down after the flood of July 10, 2082 damaged the outer surface dam structure. After that, the tunnel and equipment were cleaned and power generation was resumed from December 20.

The estimated cost of the project was Rs 23.73 billion. In the project, 80 cubic metres of water per second is supplied to the powerhouse through a 4.8-kilometer-long headrace tunnel. The three Francis turbines installed in the airport have the capacity to generate a maximum of 111 megawatts, according to project centre chief Santosh Adhikari.