Hydel convention kicks off

THT Online

KATHMANDU: The two-day Fourth International Hydro Power Convention: ‘Hydro Power for Progress of Nepal’ kicked off here on Saturday.
The convention, participated by independent power producers, government officials and experts from India and Nepal will conduct a reality check on policies, procedures, perceptions and practices of hydropower development in Nepal.
Dr Sandip Shah, president of Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal, which co-organised the event, said the government needs to come up with plans, policies, programmes and implementation strategies to realise its vision of developing 10,000 megawatt of hydroelectricity in 10 years.
“The pre-requisites for the development of hydropower projects are legal stability, political and bureaucratic will, effective implementation of the government’s single window policy and empowerment of the agency responsible for implementing the policy,” said Shah.
Minister for Water Resources Bishnu Prasad Paudel said the government was working to realise its conviction that hydropower is the foundation of development while political parties had agreed that private and foreign sectors are important for hydropower development.
“The government is committed to ensure security of national and international power developers and investors as well as to address genuine demands of locals in the project site,” he said. The minister said two proposed bills would benefit both private and public sectors by creating an equitable competitive environment.
Addressing the programme, Indian ambassador Rakesh Sood said there was a feeling that India is pushing Nepal’s power development for the benefit of India. “It is a wrong perception. We know that at this stage of installed capacity of around 600 MW, Nepal cannot address the rising demand for power in the country.”
Sood said India planned to import power from neighbouring countries but added India’s demand for power would essentially be addressed by domestic capacity. “Big power developers need commitment from Nepal. No foreign company can come here and address the demand in rural areas without the government’s cooperation.”

Last Updated : 2009-04-25 11:43 PM

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