Nepal benefits from Chinese hydropower company's projects

KATHMANDU, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- As the Upper Marsyandi, a hydropower project funded and operated by a Chinese company in western Nepal, has been contributing its share in improving Nepal's power supply over the years, the project company has been benefiting local communities with more than 200 projects.

The run-of-river power station located in Lamjung district crossed the mark of two billion kilowatt hours in the accumulative generation of electricity on Wednesday, said Hou Zhong, the project manager.

Despite the massive 2015 earthquake, floods and landslides and the COVID-19 pandemic, the power station has been operating steadily and supplying clean power to the national grid over the years, making a positive contribution to the relief of power shortages in Nepal, added Hou.

According to the project company, the steady power supply has in particular helped solve the problem of load shedding in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.

With an installed capacity of 50MW, the power station started construction in January 2013 and went into commercial operation in January 2017, half a year ahead of schedule. It has been contributing 317 million kilowatt hours in contracted energy annually to Nepal's national grid.

Hou noted that as the project progressed and the power station has been operating smoothly, the project company has implemented more than 200 projects in the execution of its corporate social responsibilities, covering schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, temples, water supply, irrigation, social environment and geological disaster management.

Two locals named Lal Bahadur Kafle and Sajina Thapa told Xinhua that it is now very easy to travel through the road for villagers, students and tourists after the once dusty road was renovated with the company's help. Foreign backpackers are also seen walking on the roads now and then in the areas.

Nanda Jung Gurung, 70, expressed gratitude to the project company after he carried a bundle of grass forage across a suspension bridge, which was expanded and uplifted during the renovation partly funded by the project company. The old bridge was decrepit, narrow and often submerged in the swollen river during the monsoon season.

While walking across the 89-meter-long suspension bridge, a group of local women sang and took selfies with their mobile phones.

Nishan Gurung, a 10th grader, chose to attend Shree Mahendra Dev Secondary School a year ago because this good school has a hostel for students, which was built with the aid of the project company.

He goes home once a month because his home is far away. "I find it all good in this hostel," he said, narrating all the benefits of lodging in the two-storey hostel.

With the help of the project company, the road to school was renovated, the damaged roof of one school building was repaired, and a badminton court and a playground were built.

"There is a good mutual relationship between the school and the hydropower project," said Som Bahadur Bhandari, the school's principal.

With a lot of help and support from the project company, the school is offering quality education and the students could achieve good study results, the principal added.

The Thakan village lies in a mountainside along with its paddy fields, making irrigation a big problem for the villagers.

The project company helped the villagers build a canal to channel stream water to irrigate the paddy fields.

The canal has enhanced the fertility of lands and ensured water supply in every season, which was only possible during the rainy season before, noted Khadga Bahadur Gurung from the village.

The villagers have started planting vegetables lately in addition to rice, millet and oranges, Gurung said, adding the vegetables have been transported to various places through roads built in the community with the help of the project company.

Inside the project company, a number of local technical workers and management talents have been trained over the years as the company has been pursuing a localized operation.

Local communities can expect to benefit more in the years to come since the project company has been executing social responsibility projects each year.