Dechen Dolkar 

The 118MW Nikachhu Hydro Energy Project in Trongsa crossed another milestone with the second stage of river diversion done on Sunday. With the diversion tunnel plugged in, the dam is now ready to store water.

Officials from the project said that with the plugging of the diversion tunnel completed, the last civil works activity will be completed within the next one to two months.




Officials said that the construction of the dam will be completed by June this year, after which partial filling of the dam will start.

Meanwhile, the concrete lining of the head race tunnel between adits three and four (construction access tunnel), the last critical activity of the project, started after achieving the breakthrough of the tunnel at the geologically difficult faces six and seven in December last year.

The tunnel concrete-lining works are expected to be completed by November this year.




“Despite challenging circumstances, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the Nikachhu project. While congratulating the project management and contractors, we would require them to work even harder to achieve the commissioning of project one,” an official said.

With an overall progress of 90 percent, the Nikachhu project is expected to be commissioned by December this year, at a cost of Nu 13.6B.

The project is a 100 percent subsidy company of Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC).

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Druk Holding and Investments, Dasho Karma Y Raydi, Managing Director of DGPC, Dasho Chhewang Rinzin, and other officials attended the event.