Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Micro hydro brings cheers in western villages

Unlike his friends, who went to foreign lands in search of greener pasture, Buddhiman Poudel of Daganumdanda VDC-6, Baglung, is earning decent money in his own village and happy.
"Thanks to Girindi Khola Micro-Hydro Plant, I earned around Rs 30,000," said elated Poudel, who studies in intermediate level second year. Poudel and some of his friends learned wiring job and helped every household in the village to get electricity.
The micro hydel project has not only generated employment to them but also helped other villagers to be economically independent. The electricity has helped them operate mills and run a cable TV in the VDC. The 75 KW-micro hydel project was started in 2004 and completed in 2008 at the total cost of around Rs 190 million.
However, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, managing director of the World Bank Group today inaugurated the micro hydel plant that is one of the 82 such plants installed so far under the World Bank financed Power Development Project.
"But the plant produces more than its capacity of 75 KW," informed the project chief. It produces 92 KW and lights 726 households of Daganumdanda VDC -- bordering village on Baglung and Gulmi -- that is eight hours far from the Baglung Bazar.
The visiting World Bank Group's managing director discussed the benefits of micro hydro plant with the local community that owns and operate the plant. Another 101 micro hydro plants will be installed in the various parts of Nepal by the time the project closes at the end of this year.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala today also visited the community managed Damkada Higher Secondary School in Palpa. The World Bank is aiding the transfer of school management to local communities through its support to the Education for All Project.
Similarly, she visited Madan Pokhara Health Post and Jhaltung Danda cantonment site of PLA ex-combatants in Nawalparasi district and met with the camp residents and commanders.

No comments: