KATHMANDU, Oct 15 (NNN-XINHUA) – A double-shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) was put into operation yesterday, marking a new phase for the construction of a 13.3-km-long tunnel, under Nepal’s Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project.
Pampha Bhusal, Nepal’s minister for energy, water resources and irrigation, inaugurated the TBM operation, together with the project manager.
Listed by the Nepali government as a national pride project, the project is aimed at diverting water from the Sunkoshi River to the Marin River through the tunnel to irrigate 122,000 hectares of farmland, in the districts of Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rauthat and Bara, in the Terai Plains.
In addition, a powerhouse will be built to generate 28.62 megawatts of electricity, to alleviate the shortage of power supply in the area.
The project, in the Sindhuli district, is being undertaken jointly by China Overseas Engineering Group Co. Ltd and China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group Co. Ltd, which had completed Nepal’s Bheri Babai tunnel construction project with the TBM.– NNN-XINHUA
