KATHMANDU.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has decided the investment modality for the Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project (BBDMP). The inter-basin water transfer project which aims to provide year-round irrigation facility to as much as 51,000 hectares of agricultural land in Banke and Bardiya districts would be invested and operated in company modality under the ‘Nepal’s Water, People’s Investment’ scheme.

According to secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Rabindranath Shrestha, the proposal on the investment modality was floated by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barshaman Pun which was approved by the concerned agencies’ heads. Minister Pun had proposed that the federal government would invest 26 per cent, the Karnali Province 20 per cent and local unit where the project was being constructed would invest 51 per cent. 

Likewise, 29 per cent of the investment would be mobilised from the public, 10 per cent from the public of Karnali State and 10 per cent from project-affected areas, informed Shrestha. The project with revised cost worth over Rs 33 billion is expected to generate 46.8 megawatt of electricity and fetch altogether over Rs 6 billion of annual income from both agriculture and electricity. The stipulated deadline for the project is fiscal year 2022/23.