Land acquisition accelerates for 669 MW Lower Arun Hydropower Project

KATHMANDU: In a bid to expedite the construction of the 669 MW Lower Arun Hydropower Project, the District Administration Office (DAO), Sankhuwasabha, has issued a public notice for the acquisition of land plots belonging to 656 individuals.

The notice, released on Saturday, targets land in various wards of Diding Rural Municipality, Sitalpati Rural Municipality, Panma Rural Municipality, and Manakamana Rural Municipality in the Sankhuwasabha district.

Landowners in the identified areas have been requested to provide necessary clarification if they oppose the proposed land acquisition. Additionally, the local administration has imposed a restriction on constructing permanent structures on the specified land plots from the day of the public notice.

The hydropower project has been contracted to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, an Indian hydropower company, as part of an agreement signed during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to India in June.

The Cabinet later endorsed the Project Development Agreement (PDA), allowing the company to undertake the construction. Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam is also involved in the Arun-III Hydropower Project.

Under the bilateral agreement, the entire power generated by the Lower Arun Hydropower Project will be exported, contributing to Nepal’s electricity sales to its southern neighbor.

The Investment Board Nepal (IBN) approved an investment of Rs 92.68 billion for the project, emphasizing completion of the detailed project study and submission of the report for approval within two years under the build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) model.

The Lower Arun Hydropower Project, designed as a tailrace development of the Arun-III hydro project, is noteworthy for its absence of a reservoir or dam, ensuring water re-enters the river downstream.