By Gopal Chandra Subedi, Kathmandu, July 8: The government has initiated the process for the land acquisition for the 635-MW reservoir-based Dudhkoshi hydropower project.

 The District Administration Office, Khotang, published a notice on July 7 about holding the transaction of land to be acquired in Rawabesi Rural Municipality and Aiselukharka Rural Municipality.

A meeting point of three districts

The mega hydropower project will be centered at a meeting point of the three districts, Khotang, Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu.

 The land acquisition has been initiated from two municipalities of Khotang. Some 3,876 hectares of land is estimated to be affected in the three districts for the project.

The administration has made public a number of plots of land and their owners that are to be fully or partially acquired for the project in the 6 wards of Rawabesi and three wards of Aiselukharka Rural Municipality in Khotang District. 

 The notice is published in the Gorkhapatra daily.

The Project has informed that 12 thousand ropani of land has been put under hold for acquisition.

Any purchases, sales and construction work cannot be proceeded in the land thus put under hold.

The preliminary estimation shows that  Rs 12 billion will be incurred for the acquisition of land for the project to be led by the Nepal Electricity Authority.

According to the head of the Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project Basanta Shrestha, a study is being conducted on the records of the land to be acquired in Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu.

The project management has moved for the stay order on land after the assurance of amount from the Ministry of Finance for land acquisition although financial management is yet to be finalized.

Fixing the price of land and residence

An estimation committee for the amount of compensation to the landowners will be formed under the coordination of Chief District Officer

The committee will determine the price of land and residence on the basis of government and prevailing price.

The acquisition of land will be based on the price determined by the committee on behalf of the project.

Shrestha informed that 2,500 households will have physical and financial impacts due to the establishment of physical infrastructure and other assets for the project.

The Rawabesi, Aiselukharka and Halesi Tuwachung of Khotang , Chisankhugadhi Rural Municipality of Okhaldhunga,  Necha Salyan  and Thulung Dudhkoshi of Solukhumbu will be affected by the dam area and infrastructure of the powerhouse.

Some 920 hectares of land will be submerged due to the construction of the dam.

The dam will be constructed in between Baseri of Khotang and Bashaure of Olkhaldhunga.

635 Megawatt Project

The project will generate 3.44 billion units of power per year.

In this, 1.35 billion units will be generated in the winter season and 2.8 billion units in the rainy season.

The project is estimated to cost Rs. 153 billion.