The Chhukha Hydropower Project was the harbinger of modernisation in the country, says the Managing Director of Druk Green Power Corporation, Dasho Chhewang Rinzin. It was Bhutan’s first step towards self-sufficiency, he says. CHPC celebrated its silver jubilee yesterday.
The Director General of Hydropower and Power Systems under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dasho Yeshey Wangdi, was one of the few Bhutanese engineers at the Chhukha Hydropower Plant 25 years ago. He looked after the testing, maintenance and operation of the project. He also served as the Managing Director of the power plant from 1999 to 2007.
Celebrating 25 years of service to the nation, Dasho Yeshey Wangdi, said he was proud to be part of a project which has contributed significantly to nation-building.
“Initially when the project was started, this project being first hydropower plant in the country, the contribution to the revenue at that time was almost close to 50 percent and I think when other government sectors like agriculture, tourism contributed gradually, it went down.” Dasho said till Tala project was commissioned in 2007, CHPC played a vital role in contributing a sizable proportion of the revenue to the government.
Dasho added that the project will continue to generate revenue for many more years to come, considering the manner in which it is being maintained.
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Before the Chhukha plant was commissioned, there was limited power supply in the country. The power supply was only three to four hours in a day, and that was at a time when not a single industry existed. The Chhukha Hydropower Plant was fully commissioned in 1988 and the 10 western dzongkhags were electrified.
“After Chhukha, we started to earn revenue and we started to think that if we develop more hydropower projects, projects, maybe we can look towards the goal of self reliance.”
Dasho said Chhukha Hydropower Plant has played a huge role in changing the mindset of people and, as well as, the country, in a way modernisation is looked at, to development, education, and jobs.
He also said Chhukha Hydropower Plant is one of the most important projects between Bhutan and the Indian government. “The project started off the big mega hydropower projects. After Chhukha, we build Kurichhu, Tala, Punatsangchhu-I and Puntsangchhu-II, and Mangdechhu.” He said, somehow the confidence of the two countries to construct more hydropower projects sort of started from Chhukha. “So it was this project that paved the way for the hydropower sector.”
As of September 2013, Chukha Hydropower Plant generated over 47,000 mega units of electricity, of which more than 41,000 mega units were exported to India. Its total earning was Nu.51.8 billion. There are, at present, about 400 employees at the project.
