Sunkoshi-Marine diversion dream coming true, Prime Minister to inaugurate today

KATHMANDU: The long-awaited Sunkoshi-Marine diversion multi-purpose project will be inaugurated today. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is inaugurating the Sunkoshi-Marine diversion project from Kusumtar in Sindhuli today.

The project will be constructed by connecting the water of the Sunkoshi river to the Marine river from a 14 km long tunnel. The project aims to generate 31 MW of electricity and irrigate 122,000 hectares of land in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat and Bara, said Gajendra Thapaliya, Development Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Construction activities of the project of national pride will be taken forward along with the inauguration of the Sunkoshi-Marine. A groundbreaking ceremony of the project has been organized in Kusumtar of Kamalamai Municipality-2 of Sindhuli.

Along with Prime Minister Oli, a team comprising Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Dormani Poudel, Chief Minister of Province 2 Lal Babu Raut and Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi are also going to Sindhuli.

The Sunkoshi-Marine Diversion Project was declared a project of national pride in the budget of the Fiscal Year 076-077 BS. A budget of Rs. 2.05 billion has also been allocated for the construction of the project.

Tender has also been called for this. The construction of the project has started to make arrangements for irrigation in Terai in Bagmati. The project is working on land acquisition and distribution of compensation.

The contract to dig the tunnel of the Sunkoshi-Marin diversion project has been awarded to the Chinese company China Overseas Engineering. The company has won a contract to dig a tunnel for the project at a cost of Rs 10 billion 57 million.