By Kokila Dhakal, Ilam, Jan 27: How many hydropower projects can there be in a single river? Many would give an answer - two or three. But, the number of hydropower projects in Mai Khola, a river in eastern Nepal, will reach 10 within a year.

Three new hydropower projects are under-construction while seven hydropower projects have already been generating and supplying electricity from Mai Khola.

The three new hydropower projects include 9.6 MW Super Mai-A hydropower project and its 3 MW Super Mai cascade project and 9.8 MW Maibeni hydropower project.

The other hydropower projects generating electricity at Mai Khola are 12 MW Upper Mai hydropower project and its 6.8 MW cascade project, 7.8 MW Super Mai hydropower project, 7.5 MW Himal Dolakha hydropower project and 22 MW Sanima Mai hydropower project along with its 8 MW cascade project.

“The water used by Upper Mai hydropower will be supplied to operate the three under-construction hydropower projects,” said Rajendra Raj Bharati, project manager of Maibeni hydropower project.

According to Bharati, 75 per cent work of Maibeni hydropower has been completed.

Similarly, construction of Super Mai-A is also going in full speed and is expected to come into operation before June.

“Plant’s head box and powerhouse have already been constructed. Around 900m of headrace pipe is yet to be placed. We have completed 80 per cent of work,” said Santosh Karki, project manager of Super Mai-A.

The 3 MW Super Mai cascade project, whose 70 per cent work has already been completed, is said to come into operation before July.

With three hydropower plants yet to come into operation and adding 6.2 MW Puwa Khola hydropower project, a total of 11 hydropower projects in Ilam will produce 86.97 MW of electricity. All the produced electricity in Ilam is stored at Kabeli corridor.