PARBAT: Hydropower projects operating along the Modi River have been accused of failing to release the mandatory minimum water flow, leaving long stretches of the river nearly dry in Parbat district.
According to local authorities, four hydropower projects are currently in operation along the Parbat section of the river. These include the 14.8 MW Modi Khola Hydropower Centre under the Nepal Electricity Authority, the 15.8 MW Madhyam Modi Hydropower Limited, the 20 MW Lower Modi Khola Hydropower Project, and the 10 MW Lower Modi ‘A’ project.
Three of the projects lie within Modi Rural Municipality, while one operates in Kushma Municipality.
As per Nepal’s hydropower and water resources policy, project developers are legally required to release at least 25 percent of the river’s natural flow continuously. However, local representatives say the provision has not been effectively implemented, pushing the Modi River into crisis.
The drying river has severely impacted aquatic life. The famed Asala fish, once abundant in the Modi River, is now reportedly on the verge of disappearance.
The Modi Khola Hydropower Centre, which began operation in 2000, has its dam reservoir at Beteni and powerhouse at Patichaur. Madhyam Modi’s dam is located at Birethanti, with its powerhouse at Beteni. Similarly, the Lower Modi Khola project has its dam at Patichaur and powerhouse at Paradhi in Kushma.
From Naya Pul on the Kaski–Parbat border to Chuwa of Kushma Municipality-8 — a stretch of nearly 12 kilometers — not even a drop of water is visible in some sections, locals say. Resident Devi Lamichhane said the lack of water has made daily life increasingly difficult for communities along the riverbanks.
The Lower Modi ‘A’ project, with a capacity of 10 MW, has its dam at Paradhi and powerhouse at Suitebari in Chuwa. As the four powerhouses are situated in series, water released from one dam is quickly diverted into the next, leaving little to flow naturally along the riverbed.
Modi Rural Municipality has repeatedly urged hydropower operators to comply with legal provisions, especially during the dry season. However, it claims that the requests have largely gone unheeded.
Deputy Chairperson Bimal Lamichhane warned that failure to release water could put settlements along the riverbanks at risk. “We have convened executive meetings and issued multiple letters to the hydropower operators, even conducted monitoring, asking them to release water as per standards. But they have never complied,” he said.
The rural municipality receives nearly Rs 1.5 million annually in royalties from electricity generated from the river. However, locals argue that environmental degradation in the name of power production must stop.
Residents have even warned companies not to “play with nature” for profit, saying ants can now be seen walking across sections where water once flowed.
Complaints about the drying river are filed every year at the District Administration Office. Assistant Chief District Officer Ganesh Prasad Poudel said discussions have been held with hydropower officials, but enforcement remains weak.
“Last year, we instructed them to release at least 10 percent water under any circumstances. Drying up an entire river and harming the ecosystem cannot be allowed,” Poudel said. “If the rural municipality says it cannot regulate, should we deploy police? We will soon call hydropower officials again for discussion.”
However, Surendra Belbase, chief of the Lower Modi Hydropower Project, claimed that his company has been releasing water in accordance with standards. “I do not know what other hydropower projects have done, but we have released water as per the required norms,” he said.
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