December 22: The construction of 5MW Ghattekhola Hydropower Project located at Marbu VDC, ward no 4 of Dolkha District has started. Manakamana Engineering Hydropower Pvt Ltd is developing the project that is situated at 75 KM North from the district headquarter Charikot. The total cost of the project is estimated nearly Rs 876.3 million. 70 per cent of the amount is being financed through a consortium loan from BFIs including NCC and Prabhu Bank headed by Bank of Kathmandu Lumbini. The developer of the project informed that eight cooperative organisations of Dolkha district are also investing in the project. "The co-operatives are investing through the company as there are legal constraints on direct investment for such institutions in hydropower sector," said Tika Prasad Chaulagain, Project Head of Ghattekhola Hydropower Project.

Under the project, a dam will be constructed to fetch water from the river to desander basin with 38 meters in length, three meters wide and 4.20 meters in height from where 976 meters penstock pipe has been installed to send the water to the two turbines build at the powerhouse constructed in Marbu-5.  Then the water will be dispensed through the two turbines to generate electricity with the help of 2 generators installed at the powerhouse. According to the developer, a 14 kilometres long 33 KV capacity transmission line from GhatteKhola to Singati substation will be constructed on the single circuit.  The project is estimated to generate a total of 29.87 GW electricity annually.