Generate electricity, or protect tourism?

PAAVAN MATHEMA

AGAINST THE CURRENT: The proposed site at Jambu village for the new power house of the 102MW Middle Bhote Kosi project.

Durga Shrestha of Sakhuwa village is worried. There is talk of a new hydropower project on the Bhote Kosi and he is concerned his adventure tourism job will go.

The 102MW Middle Bhote Kosi project is a subsidiary of Chilime Hydropower and will have a gated diversion weir at Chaku, and a powerhouse 7 km downstream at Jambu village. With the feasibility done, construction is set to begin in 2013 and the project will be completed in four years.

The project will be the third hydropower plant on this stretch of the river, and has become the latest example of Nepal's need for energy clashing with tourism. With the country reeling from 16-hour power cuts in winter, the government has declared an energy emergency and encouraged investors in hydropower.

"We hear that if the project is implemented, the river will run dry, so will our jobs," says Durga Shrestha.
The Bhote Kosi has its headwaters in Tibet and cuts through the Himalaya through mighty gorges with steep gradient. With 80 rapids within 21 km, many up to Grade 5, the Bhote Kosi is one of the world's top ten rivers for white water rafting and the venue for many international rafting and kayaking championships. It is also a river prone to glacial lake outburst floods, and there are a dozen lakes upstream in Tibet that could overflow in future because of thawing due to climate change.

Twenty-one rafting companies operate on the Bhote Kosi River, bringing in hundreds of tourists per day during the peak season. The river also has five major resorts along its banks, including The Last Resort, famous for its bungee jumping, and Borderlands Eco Adventure Resort which offers canyoning and rafting. The resorts provide hundreds of jobs for people from surrounding villages.

"Bhote Kosi is a world-class river, important for the local people here and for tourism," explains Megh Ale of the Nepal River Conservation Trust. "If the power house is built at Jambu, it will significantly decrease water volume along the rafting route, and tourism will lose its most important attraction."

Eco-tourism activists have been lobbying to shift the power house a little upstream from Jambu to Sakhuwa, leaving the rafting route intact. Prakash Man Shrestha, of the Madhya Bhote Kosi Jalavidyut Company, says shifting the powerhouse upstream would reduce the head and cut generation capacity by half but costs will decrease only 20 per cent. "It is not economically feasible to build the power house upstream," Shrestha told Nepali Times, adding that the project has offered to help resorts if they need to relocate.

Subash Karmacharya is a former UML member of parliament from Sindhupalchok and was recently appointed to the board of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). He firmly backs the hydropower project, saying it will help develop the district. "It will bring jobs and a share in its equity," he says. "It will help in local development."

But tourism has also generated jobs. The suspension bridge built by The Last Resort for its bungee jumps saves villagers a five-hour detour. The resorts invest in local health and education.

Says Sankar Jit Tamang of Gathi VDC: "The hydropower project should be constructed in such a way that it does not hamper the tourism industry that has given us so much."

Ale is convinced there is a middle way that will protect rivers while also addressing Nepal's energy deficit. In an adjoining commentary, he advocates dividing rivers into three segments: the higher reaches from 1,200-5,000m for hydropower, from 200-1,200m for tourism and rafting, and below that for irrigation. He also argues that some rivers should be protected in their pristine state and left as free-flowing rivers.

Power investor

Early this week, the government launched the Hydropower Investment and Development Company (HIDC). With an authorised capital of Rs 500 million and paid up capital of Rs 100 million, HIDC has pulled investments from the government, Employee Provident Fund, National Insurance Company and Citizen Investment Fund and will invest in hydropower projects of over 25MW. "The country needs investment in hydroelectricity but the market's interest rate is very high," explains Energy Minister Gokarna Bista. "This company will fill in as an investor in hydropower projects."

Read also:
Save our rivers from ourselves, MEGH ALE
Protecting the Karnali, Madi and Tamor as free-flowing rivers will save them for future generations

See also:
Roller coaster rides on Nepal's rivers
The wild white waters of Himalayan rivers wait for riders
A Himalayan challenge, AARTI BASNYAT
Whether you want to race your kayak and raft, or just watch, Bhote Kosi is the place next week

1. Concerned

It is not only about tourism but more importantly, protecting the environment (flora, fauna included), the local population and sustainable development (improving the livelihood of the local population and protecting the environment). Promoters of the project, including Mr. Subash Karmacharya, should seriously reflect on who will it "bring jobs to" and how it will "help in local development".

Clearly, the local population prefer the jobs that tourism is bringing to them, which is more sustainable with low impact on the environment. For "local development" claimed by Mr. Karmacharya, a micro-hydro project run by the local community can generate sufficient energy for local consumption and more, which can further lead to other community-run services and businesses, such as health post/hospital, schools, organic farming and other production and marketing of local products. A planned destination promotion as eco-tourism village with world-class rafting could also generate more jobs for the local inhabitants than a mega-hydro project.

I am not against mega-projects, however, caution is necessary and Nepal has plenty of rivers for potential hydro projects. Bhote Koshi has established itself as a world class river for rafting and is important for the local as well and national and international community. For sustainable development of the country (and Kathmandu), projects should focus on "local development" through local initiatives and investments, rather than exploiting rural Nepal for the benefit of city-dwellers in Kathmandu and elsewhere. Kathmandu will do better (and get more electricity) when rural Nepal is prioritized and development is decentraized.

Posted on: 15 JULY 2011 | 3:54 PM NST

2. abhi
Oh boy, some teenager writes so naively and a tree-hugger surrenders...! please god, why do you still breed these commies?

Posted on: 15 JULY 2011 | 12:02 AM NST

3. Dear Abhi
I think a dialogue on sustainable development is much needed and the only real path for Nepal (or much of the world) in the long run. Name-calling is (at the risk of name calling) nothing but childish and useless.

The only thing Nepal has going for itself is it's natural environment. Think of the number of people that depend on farming and tourism sector alone, and it's contribution to our economy and what that means in terms of socio-political stability in the country. Ruin that and there will be more Nepalis toiling as semi-slaves in foreign countries than switching light bulbs on in villages across the Nepal.

Teenagers can be smart beyond their age, and tree-hugging has been scientifically proven to be healthy. Name calling? still childish and useless.

Posted on: 15 JULY 2011 | 2:40 AM NST

4. yoaa
Very valid article ... there are examples already .. just look at Tista in Sikkim .. now a dead river with ugly hydel plants in every turn. We need to keep it balanced.

Posted on: 16 JULY 2011 | 6:41 PM NST

5. kamdar

Nepal

Being the leader in freshwater recources and have great reputaion in white water sports people just want to hear about it form the person who has seen or been there. There are other alternatives to engergy demand for us dont go too far on this Hydro plant coz we wont be able to generate enough electricity to sell in India and China to make profit so get rid of this dumb idea.

Nobody wants to hear that ooh Nepal used be the best place to white water sports but not anymore coz they want electricity for 1000 homes thats why they built the dam.

Thaats a damn shame .....

Posted on: 16 JULY 2011 | 11:15 PM NST

6. rosi
Rivers belong to the country not just a village or region, So should be used to benefit the country not one single village. God these people are becoming so individualistic.

Posted on: 17 JULY 2011 | 7:23 AM NST

7. pravasi nepali

At the time being, we need electricity for economic development. There are many rivers in far west nepal which can be developed as tourist spots. That will reduce unemployment in those areas as well as force the gov to make roads to those places.

The rivers in central,western and eastern nepal should be used for hydroelectricity. We,as a nation, can't afford nuclear or coal based electricity.

and by the way, can u compare the jobs created by rafting,boating with those created by the surge in electricity producing capacity of the nation.it's better to choose the latter.

jai nepal.

Posted on: 18 JULY 2011 | 2:46 PM NST