KATHMANDU: A significant milestone has been achieved with the breakthrough of the Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multi-purpose Project tunnel. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' oversaw the breakthrough event at Kanadhungri, Sunkoshi rural municipality-7. With the press of a switch by the PM, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) successfully exited the tunnel from Kanadhungri, marking the completion of the 13.3-kilometer-long tunnel stretching from Kusumtar in Kamalamai municipality-2 to Kanadhungri in Sunkoshi-7.
Project Chief Mitra Baral announced that the breakthrough was accomplished a year ahead of schedule, with the tunnel being dug up to 72 meters in a single day. Despite facing disruptions due to dry landslides and mudslides inside the tunnel, the breakthrough was achieved within 19 months of commencing the tunnel digging work on October 14, 2022. The tunnel, constructed using quality segments and advanced technology, has a diameter of 5.5 meters.
The project involves the construction of a 30-meter-high and 158-meter-long dam across the Sunkoshi River at Kanadhungri, with water from the dam being channeled through the tunnel to the Marinkhola stream at Kusumtar. At Kusumtar, water will be utilized to generate 31.07 megawatts of electricity through a penstock pipe dropping from a height of 66 meters. The Chinese construction company, China Overseas Engineering (COVEC), responsible for the tunnel construction, was awarded a contract worth Rs 10.05 billion.
The Sunkoshi-Marin Diversion Multi-purpose Project aims to provide irrigation water and electricity to five districts of the Madhes region year-round. In addition to power generation, the project's primary objective is to facilitate irrigation on 122 thousand hectares of land in Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, and Dhanusha districts of Terai, utilizing the infrastructure of the Bagmati irrigation project. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 49.42 billion.
