Kathmandu – Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Physical Infrastructure and Transport, and Urban Development, Kulman Ghising, has made it clear that contracts for the Sunkoshi-Marin and Bheri-Babai multipurpose projects cannot remain as they are and must be canceled.
In a meeting on Tuesday at the Energy Ministry with secretaries, the irrigation department’s director general, project chiefs, consultants, and contractors, Minister Ghising stressed that the only way forward is to terminate existing contracts and restart the projects afresh.
Citing unnatural delays in construction, Ghising said the prolonged inaction is depriving the country of the economic benefits these projects were designed to bring, such as expanding irrigation in the Terai to boost agricultural productivity. He urged all parties to take the matter seriously.
“It seems one side keeps blaming the other, contractors keep finding loopholes, and the projects themselves are not providing a conducive environment. With billions of rupees already invested, and even more in interest, the financial analysis and expected returns are being lost,” he warned.
Although tunnel construction has been completed in both projects, the dams and powerhouses remain unfinished, leaving the projects stranded. Highlighting the water scarcity in the Terai-Madhesh region, Ghising said, “In this situation, projects cannot move forward. If contractors were active, the work would be complete, but no intent to deliver is visible. Therefore, extending deadlines has no justification. All contracts should be scrapped and restarted.”
The Bheri-Babai tunnel was completed in Bhadra 2077, while contracts for the dam and powerhouse were signed in Shrawan 2076 with Guangdong Yutian-Raman JV, with physical progress now at 57 percent. For Sunkoshi-Marin, construction progress on the dam and powerhouse stands at only 10 percent, though nearly 60 percent of the contract period has already elapsed. This project’s contractor is Patel-Raman JV.
NP
