Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Preparations are underway to restore electricity generation from the 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Nepal’s largest operational hydropower plant, by December 25.
According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), heavy rainfall on September 27 and 28 triggered landslides that severely damaged the project’s headworks at Lamabagar in Bigu Rural Municipality-1 of Dolakha. The control room, desander) and the underground culvert channel connecting the dam to the desander were significantly damaged.
Of the two desanders, NEA plans to repair the left one by December 25 by demolishing the damaged concrete walls. Likewise, NEA also plans to grout the cracks in the culvert walls and ceiling simultaneously. Meanwhile, NEA plans to repair the right desander and redraw the design to build an underground control room before the next monsoon. Repair work on a damaged transmission tower has already been completed. This will enable power evacuation from the plant.
NEA Executive Director Kulman Ghising, who also chairs the board of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Limited, inspected the site on Wednesday alongside board members, the CEO, and project officials. They discussed the progress and set a timeline to complete repairs and restart electricity generation by December 2510, aiming to operate at peak demand capacity within 15 days of resumption of power generation.
Ghising warned project officials that failure to meet the repair timeline could lead to significant power shortages during the winter peak hours. “We can only import electricity from India during daytime and night until March. If Upper Tamakoshi failed to resume generation by that time, we will face serious supply challenges,” he added.
He further stressed that the right desander’s repairs must be completed before the monsoon to avoid wasting excess water during the rainy season.
The project stopped power generation on the evening of September 27 when water levels in the Tamakoshi River surged. All dam gates were opened to prevent structural damage to the project infrastructure.
