Kathmandu. The tunnel of the under-construction Sabhakhola 'B' hydropower project in Sabhapokhari Rural Municipality of Sankhuwasabha has been breached. The main tunnel of the 21.5 MW Sabha Khola project, which is under construction using Sabha Khola water, was broken on Monday. Ganesh Karki, managing director of Arvit Energy Limited, has 'break through' the tunnel during a program here. This is a project identified and promoted by the private sector.

The 4,110 meter tunnel of the project, which has an intake area in Sabhapokhari-3, has been broken. Project work is being done in Sabhapokhari Rural Municipality Ward No. 3, 4 and 5. Krishna Prasad Pant, in charge of the project, said that the 4,110-meter long tunnel, starting from the intake of the reservoir and ending with the penstock pipe, is a 'break through'.

He said that now the rest of the concrete lining of the tunnel will be done and the water from the main tunnel will be pumped to the power house through a 1,45 meter long penstock pipe. Pant informed that 75 percent of the project work has been completed so far.