The trial production of the 102 MW central Bhotekoshi hydropower project constructed in Sindhupalchowk has started on Monday. Bhotekoshi, a subsidiary of Nepal Electricity Authority, which is the main promoter of the Chilime Hydroelectric Project, has overcome many difficulties and started trial production after 14 years of construction.

According to Ramgopal Sivakoti, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bhotekoshi Jalvidyut Company, since the work of the Bahrbise substation being constructed by the authority has not been completed, the generated electricity has been delivered to the new Khimti substation through a 40 km transmission line. Trial production has been started by operating one of the three turbines of the

project. As the Bahrbise substation was not ready, since last week the electricity tested by the Khimti substation was being tested on the line connected to the power house at Madhyabhotekoshi. "Even though it took a long time to build the project, we have succeeded in generating electricity after going through many ups and downs," Bhotekoshi CEO Sivakoti said happily. He informed that after the test of transmission line was successful, the test of electricity was started. According to him, management has been arranged to send only 220 KV power to Madhyabhotekoshi in the 400 KV power transmission line of New Khimti. There is a plan to connect the produced electricity to the national grid through the Dhal Kebar substation.

Due to extreme political interference, local obstacles, internal administrative problems of the project, covid, floods and landslides, earthquakes, obstacles at the Indian border, etc., the construction has been delayed continuously. The project's tunnel is 7.5 km long, with Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality-5 Chakuma Dam on the border of China and Jambuma Power House in Bahrbise Municipality.

Last year, when water was sent to the tunnel, the tunnel leaked. Now, the production has been started after the testing of all the structures of the project has been completed. It is estimated that the cost of the project based on 'Run of the River' will be 22 and a half billion. At the time of starting, the estimated cost of the project was 12 billion 33 million 28 million, because the project could not be constructed within the specified time, the project is paying more than 50 million per day only as interest on the loan.

Kulman Ghising, the then executive officer of the company, started the project with the goal of completing it in 2013. In the beginning, it was very difficult to move the project forward due to local problems. CEO Sivakoti says, 'We have brought Bhotekoshi, which was almost like a failure, to production status.' Radha Gyawali had forcibly removed Ghising when she was the power minister. Because of his removal, the project was stopped for some time. According to the

project, due to the increased investment, it is estimated that the cost of power generation from Utsimaga will reach 220 million. It is estimated that the annual income from this project, which aims to produce 542.2 million electricity annually, will be 2.8 billion. Sivakoti informed that the least 35 megawatts of electricity will be produced in the dry season and up to 110 megawatts can be produced in the rainy season.