Why have our hydro-power projects gone so horribly wrong? I think the answer lies in history. Take a look at the following:
Chhukha Hydropower Project
Started : 1974
Status : Fully completed - 1988
Started : 1974
Status : Fully completed - 1988
Kurichhu Hydropower Project
Started : 1995
Status : Fully completed - 2002
Basochhu Hydropower Project (done by the Austrians)
Started : 1996
Status : Fully completed - 2004
Tala Hydropower Project
Started : 1999
Status : Fully completed - 2007
Dagachhu Hydropower Project
Started : 2009
Status : Completed - 2015
You can see a pattern up there. Start one project - finish it and then go to the next one. The project construction was nicely paced out - NO RUSH.
Then suddenly, as of 2008, all hell broke loose:
Punasangchhu I
You can see a pattern up there. Start one project - finish it and then go to the next one. The project construction was nicely paced out - NO RUSH.
Then suddenly, as of 2008, all hell broke loose:
Punasangchhu I
Started : 2008
Status : Incomplete
Punasangchhu II
Staterted : 2010
Status : Incomplete
Magdechhu
Started : 2012
Status : Incomplete
Khollongchhu
Started : 2015
Status : Incomplete
Without the need to go into too many technicalities, it is clear that we have to go back to the old wisdom: Do one project at a time. Do not sink the country into any further hydro-power debt and liability. Stop new hydro-power projects until the ones in the pipeline are completed and commissioned. Please show your support to this method of doing things at:
Without the need to go into too many technicalities, it is clear that we have to go back to the old wisdom: Do one project at a time. Do not sink the country into any further hydro-power debt and liability. Stop new hydro-power projects until the ones in the pipeline are completed and commissioned. Please show your support to this method of doing things at:
The difference is in wisdom and irrationality. Too many heavy budgeted projects has in store too much commissions and too much kick backs. The elected leaders try to make fast buck and that's how they do it. As I have written in my blog www.kbwakhley.blogspot.com or in the face book status page, IS DEMOCRACY HIGHWAY FOR CORRUPTION? In the power sector, full of heavy budgeted projects, the elected leaders are making friends with those they appointed as heads. They forget they have a conscience and do what it pleases them. Continue reading my blog and great revelation will unfold at appropriate times...
ReplyDeleteAnd when someone gets a commission of 1 to 2% of the contract value, the country looses more than 100% when contracts are awarded at highly inflated costs. Limited resources are being drained out in an uncontrolled manner. Look at BPC awarding contracts at over 300% as compared to prevailing market rates. Look at Puna-I and Puna-II, the contracts are awarded at at least 200% higher than those projects in India having similar terrain and altitudes. Why such a difference? Can anyone justify this? No one can satisfy the greeds of a few who will carry the money tied to their tail when they pop-off from this world. That's what probably they think.