August 1: Pharping Hydropower Station, the first hydropower project in Nepal and the second one in Asia, is set to be developed as the Energy Museum. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to develop the 500 KW-Pharping Hydropower Station as the energy museum.

The NEA has been preparing the master plan by appointing NEA Engineering Company as the consultant in order to develop the station as the tourism site.

The old structures would be renovated and new structures constructed at unoccupied land linking the historic hydropower station with tourism, according to the NEA.

Different structures including a park, a restaurant, shops, zipline, picnic spot, library and children's park would be constructed at the land of Station's reservoir and powerhouse area located at Dakshinkali municipality of Kathmandu.

A plan has been set to develop the structures of the hydropower station as the museum by carrying out renovation.  It is estimated that it would take around one billion rupees for the implementation of the master plan prepared by the consultant.

The station has 324 ropanis of land under its ownership. Forty-six ropanis of land of reservoir area and around 146 ropanis of land of powerhouse area would be used for the construction of tourism structures.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, who arrived in Pharping to participate in sapling plantation programme organised on Monday at the premises of Pharping Hydropower Station on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of NEA, was briefed about the master plan.

Minister Basnet, Energy Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, NEA Managing Director Kul Man Ghising, among others observed the condition of different structures including the powerhouse. (RSS)