| Mai Khola | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Kankai Mai |
• coordinates | 26°49′44″N87°46′48″E / 26.8289°N 87.7800°E |
The Mai Khola is a river in eastern Nepal, the headwater of the Kankai River. Its water is used for irrigation and also powers several hydroelectric plants.
The Mai Khola is the main tributary of the Kankai. It is a perennial river that originates in springs in the Mahabharat Range about 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) above sea level. It flows from north to south. Major tributaries include the Jog Mai Khola and the Puwa Khola. At its confluence with the Deb Mai Khola, it takes the name of Kankai Mai River, and when it enters the Jhapa District it becomes the Kankai River. The catchment area of the Mai Khola upstream from the Kankai Mai River at Chepte is 1,150 square kilometres (440 sq mi), and lies entirely within the Ilam District. [1]
The Mai Area Water Partnership (AWP) was established after a June 2002 workshop. It is a network of local water-related institutions with the Namsaling Community Development Centre (NCDC), a non-governmental organization, as the host institution. The purpose was to ensure sustainable irrigation development in the Mai River basin, the only basin in Ilam. [2] For the purpose of a pilot project study the Mai River basin was divided into 14 sub-basins, or blocks. [2] The study found that two of these blocks were water-stressed and another two had only just enough water flows to meet the present demand. [3] One of the challenges of the AWP was to encourage the members to work together as a network, rather than use it as a forum to air grievances. However, it was hoped that the AWP would provide a model for similar partnerships in other parts of Nepal. [4]
As of January 2020 [update] , seven hydropower projects on the Mai Khola were operational and another three were under development. If the 6.2 MW Puwa Khola Hydropower Station is included, the total output of active and under construction plants on the river reaches 86.97 MW. [5] The projects were: [5] [6]
| Output | Project | Status | Commissioned | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 MW | Mai Khola Small Hydropower Station | Active | 2008-01-28 | Himal Dolakha Hydropower |
| 22 MW | Mai Hydropower Station | Active | 2015-01-28 | Sanima Mai Hydropower |
| 7 MW | Mai Cascade Hydropower Plant | Active | 2016-04-01 | Sanima Mai Hydropower |
| 12 MW | Upper Mai Hydropower Station | Active | 2016-06-23 | Mai Valley Hydropower |
| 6.1 MW | Upper Mai-C Hydropower Station | Active | 2017-07-24 | Mai Valley Hydropower |
| 8 MW | Mai Cascade Hydropower Plant | Active | 2018-04-09 | Himal Dolakha Hydropower |
| 7.8 MW | Super Mai Hydropower Station | Active | 2018-10-28 | Super Mai Hydro Power |
| 9.6 MW | Super Mai-A Hydropower Station | Active | Super Mai Hydro Power | |
| 3.8 MW | Super Mai Khola Cascade Hydropower Station | Active | Super Mai Hydro Power | |
| 9.51 MW | Mai Beni Hydropower Project | Active | 2021-09-17 | Urja Developers |
The intake to the 6.2 MW Puwa Khola Hydropower Station is on the Puwa River about 500 metres (1,600 ft) above the Geya Danda Irrigation System. About 250 liters per second (3,300 imp gal/min) of water is diverted to the power station. [7] The diverted water flows along a 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) headrace tunnel and then a 990 metres (3,250 ft) penstock pipe to the power station, which discharges it into the left bank of the Mai Khola. [8] This leaves very little irrigation water in the dry season. [7]
Phakphok is a Village in Phakphokthum Rural Municipality of Ilam District in the Koshi Province of eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 4,233 persons living in 734 individual households.
The Kankai River is a trans-boundary river flowing through the hills of Ilam and the plains of the Jhapa District in Nepal. It begins at the confluence of the Mai Khola and Deb Mai Khola rivers.
Koshi Province is the autonomous easternmost province adopted on 20 September 2015 by Constitution of Nepal. The province is rich in natural resources, tourist attractions, recreational activities, and natural beauty. The province covers an area of 25,905 km2 (10,002 sq mi), about 17.5% of the country's total area. With the industrial city of Biratnagar as its capital, the province includes major eastern towns of Birtamod, Sundar Haraincha, Damak, Dharan, Itahari, Triyuga Municipality and Mechinagar, and the Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga and Ama Dablam. Koshi River, the largest river of the nation, forms the province's western boundary. Under the First-past-the-post voting system issued by the Constituency Delimitation Commission, Nepal, the province hosts 28 parliamentary seats and 56 provincial assembly seats.
Modi River or Modi Khola is a tributary of Gandaki River in Parbat district of Nepal. It is a snow-fed perennial river originating from Annapurna Mountains and has a catchment area of 675 km². It meets the Kali Gandaki River at Modi Beni of Parbat District. The total length of the river is approximately 50km. The main tributaries of the Modi river are Bhurangdi Khola, Rati Khola, Pati Khola, Malyangdi Khola, Ghandruk Khola and Ambote Khola. The mean annual precipitation in the basin is approximately 2,700mm and 80% of the total annual rainfall occurs during the monsoon.
Andhi Khola Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Syangja District of Nepal. The flow from Andhi River, a tributary of Kali Gandaki River, is used to generate 9.4 MW electricity and annual energy of 68.38 GWh. The plant is owned and developed by Butwal Power Company Limited, an IPP of Nepal in technical help from UMN. The plant started generating electricity since 2052-01-08 BS. The generation licence will expire in 2101-12-30 BS, after which the plant will be handed over to the government. The power station is connected to 132 kV national grid through the substation at Rang Khola and sells electricity to Nepal Electricity Authority.
Puwa Khola Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Puwa River, a tributary of the Mai Khola, is used to generate 6.2 MW electricity. The plant is owned and developed by Nepal Electricity Authority, a government-owned public company. The plant started generating electricity in 2060-12-22 BS. The generation licence would expire in 2101-12-30 BS, after which the plant would be handed over to the government. The power station is connected to the national grid.
Jogmai Khola Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Jogmai River is used to generate 7.6 MW electricity. The plant is owned and developed by Sanvi Energy Pvt. Ltd., an IPP of Nepal. The plant started generating electricity from 2074-01-18BS. The generation licence will expire in 2104-12-28 BS, after which the plant will be handed over to the government. The power station is connected to the national grid and the electricity is sold to Nepal Electricity Authority.
Daraundi A Hydropower Station is a 6 MW run-of-river hydro-electric plant located on the Daraundi River in the Gorkha District of Nepal.
Daram Khola-A Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydroelectricity plant located in Baglung District of Nepal. The flow from Daram River is used to generate 2.5 MW electricity.
Upper Puwa-1 Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Puwa River, a tributary of Mai River, is used to generate 3 MW electricity. The design flow is 4.46 m3 (158 cu ft) per second and design head is 125 m (410 ft).
Upper Mai-C Hydropower Station is a 6.1 MW run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. It is powered by water from the Mai Khola.
Puwa Khola-1 Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Puwa River, a tributary of Mai River is used to generate 4 MW electricity.
Rudi A Hydropower Station is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in the Kaski District of Nepal that came into operation in 2019. The flow from the Rudi River is used to generate 8.8 MW electricity.
The Rudi River, or Rudi Khola is a river in Nepal, a left tributary of the Madi River.
The Daraudi River is a river in Nepal. It is a left tributary of the Marshyangdi river, which in turn joins the Trishuli River.
The Puwa River is a river in Nepal. It is a right tributary of the Mai Khola.
Super Mai Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 7.8 MW electricity.
Super Mai-A Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 9.6 MW electricity. The design head is 199.3 m.
Super Mai Khola Cascade Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 3.8 MW electricity.
Mai Khola Small Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 8 MW electricity. The plant is owned and developed by Himal Dolkha Hydropower Company Pvt Ltd, an IPP of Nepal.