August 5: The construction of the Upper Marsyangdi and Tatopani hydropower projects are estimated to cost over Rs 36.76 billion. The cost of the Upper Marsyangdi Hydropower Project alone is estimated to cost Rs 33.3 billion.

The Ministry of Forestry has published an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report with an estimated cost of Tatopani Hydel at Rs 3.4 billion.

Upper Marsyangdi is a proposed project in Marsyangdi river which flows through Lamjung district of Gandaki Province.

A feasibility study conducted by the Upper Marsyangdi Power Company Pvt. Ltd. in 2065 after obtaining a survey permit from the Department of Electricity Development concluded that the project can be constructed with a capacity of 138 MW. The environmental impact assessment report of the project has been approved. However, when the company was about to start the project after the completion of the entire process, it was found that the project would affect the proposed dam area of another project – Upper Marshyangdi A Hydropower Project –  which lies a little downstream of the project area.

The project was then told to move its construction site about 1.2 kilometers upstream.

Later, a detailed study found that only 102 megawatts of electricity can be generated at the new site.