सिमेक र वेष्ट सेती हाइड्रो -प्रा.) लि. बीचमा भएको समझदारी पत्रमा हस्ताक्षर सम्पन्न भएपछि सहभागीहरूसँग बेइजिङस्थित नेपाली राजदुतावासमा प्रधानमन्त्री माधवकुमार नेपालका साथमा चिनियाँ तथा नेपाली अधिकारीहरू ।

पश्चिम सेतीमा सिमेकले थप लगानी गर्ने सहमति पत्रमा हिजो सोमवार राती हस्ताक्षर भएको छ । समझदारी पत्रमा सिमेकका तर्फाट अध्यक्ष जिया झक्ियाङ र वेष्ट सेती हाइड्रो -प्रा.) लिमिटेडका तर्फाट निर्देशक हिमालयबहादुर पाँडेले चीनको राजधानी बेइजिङमा हस्ताक्षर गर्नुभएको छ ।

चीनको राजधानी बेइजिङस्थित नेपाली राजदूतावासमा चीन भ्रमणमा रहेका प्रधानमन्त्री माधवकुमार नेपाल, र्ऊजामन्त्री डा. प्रकाशशरण महत, अर्थमन्त्री सुरेन्द्र पाण्डेलगायत नेपाली टोलीको उपस्थितिमा सिमेक र वेष्ट  सेती हाइड्रोका बीच समझदारी पत्रमा हस्ताक्षर भएको हो । 

पश्चिम सेती जलविद्युत आयोजनासम्बन्धी समझदारी पत्रमा हस्ताक्षर सम्पन्न भएपछि प्रधानमन्त्री नेपालले यसको स्वागत गर्नुभएको थियो । हस्ताक्षर भएलगत्तै काठमाडौंमा ‘कल कन्फरेन्स’ मार्फ पत्रकारहरुलाई जानकारी दिँदै निर्देशक पाँडेले समझदारीपछि आयोजना निर्माणका ढोकाहरू खुलेको टिप्पणी गर्नुभयो । उहाँले भन्नुभयो- अब परियोजना बन्ने विश्वास अत्यधिक बढेको छ ।

प्रधानमन्त्रीले पश्चिम सेती आयोजना कार्यान्वयनका लागि नेपाल सरकारले गर्नुपर्ने सहयोगका लागि सदा तत्पर रहेको जानकारीसमेत चिनियाँ पक्षलाई दिनुभएको थियो । “यो साह्रै राम्रो कुरा हो, नेपाल सरकार यो सझदारीको स्वागत गर्दछ,” प्रधानमन्त्रीको भनाइ उद्धृत गर्दै पाँडेले पत्रकारहरुलाई बताउनुभयो । “तपाईंहरुले जसरी भए पनि यो वर्षकाम शुरु गर्नोस् भनेर प्रधानमन्त्रीले भन्नुभएको पनि निर्देशक पाँडेले बताउनुभयो ।

उहाँका अनुसार, समझदारी पत्रमा हस्ताक्षर भएपछि सरकारले यो आयोजना निर्माणको अपेक्षा लिएको पनि प्रधानमन्त्री नेपालले उल्लेख गर्नुभयो । हिजै प्रधानमन्त्री नेपालले पनि नेपालमा जलविद्युत उत्पादनको क्षेत्रमा लगानी गर्नका लागि चिनियाँ लगानीकर्ताहरुलाई आहृवानसमेत गर्नुभयो । सिमेकले नेपालमा लगानीका लागि उचित वातावरण खोजेको जानकारी दिँदै पाँडेले त्यस्तो लगानीप्रतिको उत्साहलाई कदर गर्दै प्रधानमन्त्रीले पनि नेपालमा चिनियाँ लगानीलाई स्वागत गर्नुभएको बताउनुभयो ।

समझदारी पत्रमा हस्ताक्षर भएपछि प्रधानमन्त्रीले थप एक वर्षा लागि लाइसेन्स नवीकरण गर्ने आश्वासनसमेत निर्देशक पाँडेलगायत वेष्ट सेतीका अधिकारीहरुलाई दिनुभएको दिनुभएको थियो । पाँडेले भन्नुभयो- समझदारी पत्रमा थप एक वर्षा लागि लाइसेन्स नवीकरणको कुरा उल्लेख गरिएको छ, जुन प्रधानमन्त्रीले ‘हुन्छ’ भन्नुभएको छ ।

चीनको बहुमत लगानी हुने, नेपालमा जलविद्युुत उत्पादन गरिने, उत्पादित ९० प्रतिशत बिजुली भारत निकासी हुने पश्चिम सेती आयोजना निर्माण भएपछि सुदूर पश्चिम क्षेत्र मात्र नभएर समग्र नेपालको हित हुने र नेपालमा जलविद्युत उत्पादनको क्षेत्रमा थप चिनियाँ आर्कषित विश्वास पनि वेष्ट सेतीका निर्देशक पाँडेले व्यक्त गर्नुभयो ।

एक अर्ब ६० करोड अमेरिकी डलर लागत आग्ने पश्चिम सेती आयोजनामा यसअघि सिमेकको १५ प्रतिशत शेयर रहने समझदारी थियो । त्यसमा एसियाली विकास बैंक -एडीबी), भारतको इन्प|mास्ट्रक्चर लिजिङ् एण्ढ फाइनान्सियल र्सर्भिसेज -आइएल एन्ड एफएस) र नेपाल सरकारको पनि १५/१५ प्रतिशत, सुदूरपश्चिमका लगानीकर्ताहरुको चार प्रतिशतसहित नेपाली लगानर्ीकर्ताको १४ प्रतिशत तथा स्मेकको २६ प्रतिशत सेयर प्रस्ताव थियो ।

चिनियाँ कम्पनीले ५१ प्रतिशत लगानी गर्ने भएपछि वेस्ट सेती हाइड्रोका शेयरधनीको सेयर संरचना पनि परिवर्तन हुने भएको छ । यसबारेमा दर्ुइ महिनामा छिनोफानो हुने वेष्ट सेती हाइड्रोका निर्देशक हिमालयबहादुर पाँडेले जानकारी दिनुभयो । “सिमेक ठूलो प्रतिशतमा आएपछि अन्य संरचनामा पनि हेरफेर हुने छ”, सुदूरपश्चिमका बझाङ, बैतडी, डोटी र डडेल्धुराका साथै कैलाली र कञ्चनपुरमा समेत प्रभाव पार्ने यो आयोजनामा एडीबीलगायतका इच्छुक सबै लगानीकर्ताहरुप्रतिको स्वागत कायम रहेको जानकारी दिँदै उहाँले भन्नुभयो- अहिलेसम्मको पर््रवर्द्धक स्मेकको आड लिएर सिमेक अगाडि बढ्नेछ, सिमेकले आयोजनाको नेतृत्व लिने छ ।

This is the first time that Tata Power has entered into an exclusive partnership with another hydropower company, stated a press statement issued by Tata Power.

The partners aim to have 2,000 MW under construction or in operation by 2015, and a total of 4,000 MW by 2020.

Full Texts

A press conference was organised on Monday announcing the Committee’s targets for the fiscal year 2066-67.
The Bagmati Action Plan is a five-year project that aims to clean the Bagmati river system and its various tributaries. It will be implemented gradually, and the funds will be arranged in coordination with the Finance Ministry, according to the committee.

The plan divides the valley into five different zones—Natural Conservation Core Zone (the mountain ranges around the Valley), Rural Zone (outermost areas of the Valley), Peri-urban Zone (areas lying between the rural and urban core of the Valley), Urban Zone (five municipalities of the Valley), and Downstream Zone (from Sundarighat to Katuwal Daha). The project is estimated to cost at least Rs. 14 billion.

The Committee’s targets for this fiscal year include drawing up conservation plans for the Bagmati’s source area and its tributaries, initiating construction of sewage treatment plants, and awareness and tree plantation programmes.
The plan also says that lands on 20 m either sides of the Bagmati, Nakkhu and Manohara rivers will not be allowed to be sold or the deeds transferred to anybody’s name. The Committee said that it has initiated the procedures to stop any construction within the boundaries of the three rivers.

A high-level committee will be formed to find an alternative to shift the squatters on the banks of the Bagmati to another location.

The Committee has identified certain problems in the implementation of the Plan, which include encroachment of the banks of the rivers, increasing transactions of land on the banks of the rivers, erratic power supply which hasn’t allowed the sewage treatment plants to function properly, and no provision for land for the proposed waste treatment plants.

The statement calls upon civil society and concerned stakeholders to participate in the Plan, and to not pollute the rivers further.

Source: Ekatipur.com

They shed light on the importance of experience sharing to solve the problems and advance the development programmes.

They Sunday expressed the view while speaking at a programme organised to mark the ‘World Water Day’ by Society of Public Health Engineers (SOPHEN), Drinking Water Distribution and Sanitation Department of the Government of Nepal, World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.

Dinesh Chandra Devkota, member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), said that though the discussion on the matter was challenging, it was necessary for the country to accelerate the development programmes by solving the issues and problems emerged in that sector.

Devkota highlighted lack of coordination and understanding between the Federation of Drinking Water Consumer Forum and Drinking Water Department on the issue related to direct public concerns.

He said that as the physical development has vital role in brining about economic, social transformation and agenda of development and peace, it would be impossible to address the global challenges if the stakeholders did not enhance their learning.

Similarly, Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, former Vice-Chairman of the NPC, called the policy-makers, technicians and consumers to keep the growing scarcity of water in view.

He said that it was natural to rise controversies while distributing resources as it was related to direct public concern.

Hari Ram Koirala, secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Uma Kanta Jha, Secretary at the Minister for Physical Planning and Works and Gajendra Thakur, Executive Director Of Melamchi Drinking Water Project, had expressed their views.

Speaking from the chair, Suman Sharma, chairman of the SOPHEN, made extensive deliberations on the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.

A joint initiative of Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS) and World Wildlife Fund, the Koshi River Basin Management (KRBM) programme launched on Wednesday will “make optimum use of Koshi basin’s water and related resources to promote socio-economic development for the benefit of people in the basin, while maintaining ecological balance”.

Launching the programme, Acting Secretary of Water and Energy Commission Secretariat Kishor Thapa said the programme would be implemented with active involvement of local governmental and non-governmental organisations and communities in a decentralised system as envisaged under the National Water Plan 2005.

Management of Koshi, a transnational river flowing across the international boundaries of China, Nepal and India, holds wide significance given the fact that it functions as one of the major life support systems for millions of people living along its basins and in south Asia.

According to WWF studies, the river contributes 10 percent of water discharge in the Ganges, and is second only to the Yellow River of China in terms of sedimentation, which leads to massive desertification.

Country Representative of WWF Nepal, Anil Manandhar said that since the Koshi River spans probably the richest topographical diversity flowing through the vicinity of the 8,848-metre high Mount Everest to near-sea-level Koshi Tappu, the programme holds meaning internationally as well.

The river has huge hydro power potential. Wise planning and interventions in the river, according to Manandhar, could go a long way in controlling floods and developing irrigation facilities.

The programme, which is the first of its kind in Nepal, is designed to take off with field activities in the Dudh Koshi Sub-Basin, one of the seven sub-basins of the Koshi River Basin within Nepal.

आगामी १० वर्षामा १० हजार मेगावाट विजुली उत्पादन गर्ने लक्ष्य नेपाल सरकारले अंगाली सकेको छ । हालमा नेपालले उत्पादन गर्ने विजुली भन्दा सरकारको लक्ष्य दश गुणा बढि भएकाले १० वर्षभित्रै यो लक्ष्य पूरा हुन्छ भन्ने विश्वास गर्न गारो छ । तर नेपाल सरकारका जलस्रोत मन्त्री भन्छन् ‘जसरी पनि त्यो लक्ष पूरा हुन्छ’ ।कसरी सम्भब छ त १० वर्षामा १० हजार मेगावाट विजुली उत्पादन गर्न ? बिबिसि नेपाली सेवाको साझा सवाल ‍……..

He pointed out that the severe power shortage was hampering more than Rs. 65 million worth of productivity. “Government should recognize the resource potential of Nepal at a time when we are totally depending on import”, he said.

He said that, at a time when national savings was only Rs. 2 billion Nepal needed to concentrate on attracting foreign investment to implement big projects. “For this it should create business and investment friendly environment”.

Jean Marc Capentier,, an energy expert from Canada, said that building hydropower was building the nation. He said that Nepal government’s ambitious vision of creating prosperous Nepal through hydropower potential was appreciable at the time when the country was at a critical crossroads.

Citing an example of his country, he said that state-owned hydropower had developed a good relationship with the private sector in Canada and other power producing countries. “We are ready to help Nepal in regard to power purchase, sharing expertise and providing assistantship”.

Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, coordinator of hydropower development at FNCCI, said that Nepal had immense hydropower potential, market access and investors, which needed to be tapped effectively.

Prime Minister Pusha Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ in a message to the programme said that such symposiums were an important move to expose the resource potential and investment opportunities to the domestic and foreigh investors.

He said the government had given due importance to create policy and administration reforms in order to promote and develop power in the country.