Rahughat dam at risk of landslide

The dam of the 40-megawatt Rahughat Hydropower Project, under construction by Raghuganga Hydropower, a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority, is at risk of landslide.

The dam, which is in the final stages of construction to reserve the water of the Rahughat River flowing from the foothills of the Dhaulagiri mountains and channel it into a tunnel at the foot of Dagnam and Jhinko in Raghuganga Rural Municipality-4, is at risk of landslide. The new landslide that has formed at the foot of Dagnam village is straight above the dam of the Rahughat Hydropower Project.

During last year’s monsoon, the same landslide caused water to accumulate on the dam under construction, causing damage. The landslide has put the village of Dagnam above the dam and the dam at risk. A study has been initiated to assess the damage that a newly created landslide could cause just above the dam and to control it, says an authority.

A 17-meter-high and 31-meter-long reservoir (PROR) dam along with a desander tank are under construction on the right bank of the Rahughat River. The landslide occurred approximately 300 meters above the dam, desander, and inlet (the entry point of the tunnel).

It is learnt that the physical progress of the project has reached 82 percent. The civil contractor has completed the construction of the dam, tunnel, and power house. Construction of the dam, tunnel, and power house has been completed. Construction has been accelerated with an action plan to complete the construction of Rahughat by end of June this year.

Lining (slope and plastering) is being done from four audits of the main tunnel. The construction of the power house at Raghuganga-3 Gatilkenichowr is 90 percent complete. Electromechanical contractor Bharat Heavy Equipment (BHEL) is working on installing turbine and generator equipment in the power house.

Construction of an AIS (Air Insulated Switchyard) has begun in the power plant premises. The switchyard equipment receives the energy generated by the generators in the power plant and supplies it to the transmission line. So as construction of a 128-meter-long tailrace that will confluence the water from the power plant into the Kaligandaki has been completed.

The hydropower project, initially designed at 32 MW, was later redesigned increasing eight MW to 40 MW.