October 24, Kathmandu: The process to construct the 335-megawatt Humla Karnali II Hydropower Project has officially begun in Humla, one of Nepal’s most remote and economically underdeveloped districts.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project is currently in progress. The Ministry of Forests and Environment has initiated the EIA process upon recommendation from the energy ministry. The project will be developed by Ruru Hydropower Project Limited.
Located across Kharpunath and Sarkegad Rural Municipalities of Humla district, the ministry has already issued a public notice calling for feedback and suggestions regarding the EIA.
The project will require 47.13 hectares of land. As per the Environmental Protection Act, 2019, an EIA is mandatory for hydropower projects with a generation capacity exceeding 50 MW. In compliance with this requirement, the ministry is conducting the necessary studies.
The run-of-the-river project will utilize the Humla Karnali River, a major tributary in the Karnali River Basin, recognized as a perennial glacial river. This makes the project strategically significant for hydropower development in the region.
The proposed design discharge for the project is 118.70 cubic meters per second, with two diversion tunnels — one measuring 545 meters and the other 542 meters long, both with a diameter of 9.5 meters.
The project is expected to generate 609.89 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy during the dry season and 1,184.83 GWh during the wet season. The electricity generated will be transmitted through a 20-kilometer double-circuit 400 kV transmission line connecting to the Mugu Karnali Hub.
Construction of the project will directly affect 56 households and require the clearance of 188 trees.
The estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 21.76 crore per megawatt, with a total cost of Rs 72.90 billion. During the construction phase, the project is expected to create employment for around 1,805 workers, while 115 people will be employed during the operation phase.
