NHPC India Nears Completion of Detailed Report on West Seti Hydropower Project

Dhangadhi– The Indian company NHPC India Limited is nearing the final stages of its Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the West Seti Public Power Project, which it began last year. The preliminary report was submitted to Nepal's Investment Board last year, marking a significant milestone in the development of this long-awaited hydropower project.

NHPC's work on the DPR has involved extensive studies of the project's reservoirs, construction sites, and the run-off patterns of the downstream rivers. According to Ratan Saund, Chairman of the Paschim Seti Mul Sarokar Samiti, the Indian company has established a local office and has been diligently progressing on the DPR, which is expected to be submitted to the Investment Board of Nepal by June.

“The Indian company has made substantial progress,” Saund stated. “They have assured us that the DPR is 100 percent complete. The workers are local, while the technicians are from India. The preliminary DPR is being revised and finalized.” The Investment Board of Nepal had originally allotted NHPC India Limited 21 months to complete a detailed feasibility study. However, the company claims it will finish within a year.

This detailed study encompasses the geographical conditions of the project area, a social management plan, and an environmental study. Approval of the DPR will pave the way for investment in the West Seti hydropower project. “Half the work is done,” Saund explained. “There are still tasks remaining, such as the construction of a sub-station, national transmission line, and an international transmission line from Lamki in Kailali to Bareilly.

The Indian company has already constructed roads to the project site.” This project, which aims to develop 750 MW of power from the West Seti and an additional 450 MW from the Seti River-6, which was initially studied 29 years ago but has seen renewed efforts under NHPC.

The agreement for these developments was signed in the presence of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, emphasizing the project's significance for Nepal's energy sector. As the DPR approaches completion, the region anticipates a significant boost in hydropower capabilities, promising to meet both local and national energy demands. This progress represents a crucial step forward in Nepal's ongoing efforts to harness its vast hydropower potential.