पश्चिम सेती जलविद्युत् निर्माणका लागि आइतबारदेखि छलफल सुरु हुने

ऊर्जा मन्त्री पोष्टबहादुर बोगटीले पश्चिम सेती जलविद्युत् आयोजना निर्माणका लागि चीनको थिर–गोर्जेजसँग आइतबारदेखि छलफल सुरु हुन लागेको बताएका छन्। थिर–गोर्जेजले सरकारी निजी साझेदारीमा यो आयोजना प्रस्ताव गरेपछि आइतबारदेखि वार्ता हुन लागेको हो।ऊर्जा मन्त्रालयले गत महिना उसको प्रस्तावअनुसार वार्ता गर्न यो कम्पनीलाई पत्राचार गरेको थियो। 

'२६ तारिखमा चिनिया टोली आउँदैछ, उनीहरुसँग थप छलफल हुनेछ,' मन्त्री बोगटीले भने। चिनिया पर्व ल्होसारले गर्दा गत महिना आउन नसकेको टोली आइतबार आएपछि वार्ता सुरु हुनेछ।

१६ वर्षसम्म अष्ट्रेलियाको स्मेक कम्पनीले लाइसेन्स लिएर निर्माण सुरु गर्न सकेको थिएन। गत साउनमा सरकारले यसको लाइसेन्स रद्द गरेको थियो। 

पत्रकार विकास थापाद्वारा लिखित 'नेपालमा जलविद्युत्' पुस्तकको विमोचन कार्यक्रममा मन्त्री बोगटीले विद्युत् प्राधिकरणमा कर्मचारी भर्ना गर्नका लागि सबैतिरबाट दबाब भए पनि अहिलेसम्म नगरेको बताए।

पत्रकार थापाले नेपालको जलविद्युत् क्षेत्रका विभिन्न आयामलाई उल्लेख गरेर लेखेको पुस्तकमा जलविद्युत् आयोजनाहरु अघि बढ्न नसक्नुका रहस्य, अरुण तेस्रो आयोजनालगायतका विषयमा रहस्य सार्वजनिक गरेका छन्। झण्डै १८ वर्षसम्म पत्रकारितामा संलग्न रहेका थापाको पुस्तकबारेमा विश्लेषक सौरभ र पूर्व जलस्रोत सचिव सोमनाथ पौडेलले चर्चा गरेका थिए।

श्रोत: www.nagariknews.com 

Piluwakhola Hydropower Project

Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company has constructed and operating Piluwakhola Small Hydropower Project at Sankhuwasava District in Koshi Zone. This is a run of river type project located in Eastern Part of the country at Piluwa River, a tributary of Arun River. The power purchase agreement with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) was completed in 2000 to supply 19.56GWh per annum. The construction of this project was started in March 2000 and completed in August 2003. The plant started commercial operation from 18 September 2003. The power generated from the project is synchronized into 33kV national grid close to the project and it helped to minimize the system losses. Nearly 300 villages of Sankhuwasabha, Terathum, Bhojpur and Dhankuta districts are directly benefited from the reliable supplied by this project. It has improved the livelihood of people of these areas. 

Salient Features 

Installed Capacity	3.0 MW
Design Discharge	3.5 m3/sec
Gross Head	112.5 meters
Contract Energy	19.547 GWh
Construction Period	36 months
Total Project Cost	NRs. 326.4 million
Cost Per Kilowatt	US$ 1451 Per KW (1 US $ =NRs.75)

First minister-level Nepal-India energy talks in Delhi

ANIL GIRI

Kathmandu, Nepal

Nepal and India are all set to hold the first energy minister-level talks on key issues pertaining to water resources in New Delhi on Wednesday Feb 15th, 2012.

Among other things, the implementation of the Pancheshwar Multi Purpose Project, a part of the Nepal-India Mahakali Treaty, and finalisation of the long-pending Power Trading Agreement (PTA) are the top agendas for the meeting. Energy Minister Post Bahadur Bogati is leading a 22-member Nepali delegation to the talks.

A meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday decided to send a 20-member delegation to India and approved Nepal’s agendas. Two officials from Nepal’s mission in New Delhi will also join in.

Nepal has made up its mind to request India to give final touches to the long-pending Power Development Agreement (PDA), construction of a 400-KV cross-border transmission corridor between Dhalkebar and Muzaffarpur and importing an additional 200 MW of electricity from the southern neighbour.

“However, we have to hold discussions with them (Indian officials) if they raise the issue of the implementation of the Pancheshwar project. So far, there are no negative talks, although we have been opposing the Mahakali Treaty,” Minister Bogati had told The Kathmandu Post a few days ago.

Wetlands are not wastelands

Bhrikuti Rai

Kathmandu, Nepal

Conservationists battle ignorance and apathy to put Nepal's endangered wetlands on the priority protection list When Nepalis talk about water bodies they often think only about rivers. But for conservationist Top Khatri, it is all about wetlands.However, Khatri, who is the national project manager of Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands in Nepal (CSUWN), says it is difficult to get officials and locals alike interested in marshes, swamps, floodplains and lakes which form a vital part of Nepal's aquatic ecosystem.

"Wetlands are not wastelands," says Khatri, who adds these vital water systems are being threatened by encroachment, pollution and drainage. "There is very little awareness about how important they are for the environment."Although wetlands account for only five percent of Nepal's total surface area, their importance far outstrips their size. Wetlands are vital stopovers for migratory birds, they are rich repositories of biodiversity, they recharge groundwater by storing monsoon runoff during the dry season and they are important for agriculture.

Nepal has 20 wetland ecosystems of global significance, but Khatri worries that they are not given priority in the national agenda. Furthermore, Nepalis have limited knowledge about their importance.

Wetlands in Nepal are home to many of the 89 globally-threatened animal species. Nearly a quarter of the 867 bird species found in Nepal depend on wetlands, including several migratory birds on the brink of extinction."Destruction of wetlands and pollution of rivers and lakes have led to dwindling bird populations and climate change has forced birds to change their migratory patterns," says Hum Bahadur Gurung of Bird Conservation Nepal.