The Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, on his recent visit to Upper Kheng in Zhemgang, said the 770-megawatt Chamkharchhu Hydropower Project is finalised and its construction will begin soon. Once the construction begins, Lyonchhen said, the four gewogs of Upper Kheng will reap the benefit. The four gewogs are Nangkhor, Shingkhar, Bardo, and Trong.
Lyonchhen said the biggest of the construction would be the dam. It is to be built near the existing suspension bridge over Chamkharchhu near Shingkhar. “It would employ more than 6,000 people only for the dam construction. There are many other works, like tunneling, which would require more people.”
The economic affairs minister, Norbu Wangchuk said the project is a mega project. “It is larger than the Kholongchhu and Mangdechhu Projects with 770 MW of power.”
Lyonpo said the expense incurred for the construction of the project would be more than Rs 70 B.
“This project is going to benefit our economy. It is going to benefit the Zhemgang Dzongkhag and more so particularly benefit four gewogs of Upper Kheng in terms of employment, business opportunity, and it is also going to benefit our farmers by being able to supply their produce to the needs of the project.”
The project is expected to benefit about 7,000 people of Upper Kheng. They say they have waited long enough for the project to materialize. The governments of Bhutan and India had signed an agreement for the construction of the project in 2006.
“I am very happy that the much awaited project is now ready to be executed. I hope our children benefit a lot from this project,” said one of the locals, Pema Dorji.
Governments of Bhutan and India finalised the joint venture project. The hydropower project will be jointly implemented by the Druk Green Power Corporation and India’s National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.
Both the parties are on the verge of finalising the shareholder agreement.
Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk said once the shareholder agreement is finalised, it would be signed by the two joint venture companies and a separate company would be incorporated under the companies’ act of Bhutan.
The construction of the dam had sparked off a debate in the country, recently, after a blogger started an online petition to keep at least one river, Chamkharchhu, free flowing. The Prime Minister had said the debate was a decade late.
