By Akanshya Shah

The Indian infrastructure development company GMR Energy has said that all construction work at the Upper Karnali has now resumed and that all survey-related work on the Upper Marshyangdi II will also start by the end of this week.

GMR is engaged in intense dialogue with leaders of all major political parties, especially the UCPN (Maoist) which has obstructed work on the two mega hydro-projects in Nepal as part of its Phase IV protests against ´Indian interference´.

Speaking to Republica Friday, GMR Energy´s Associate Vice-President Harvinder Manocha said, “All work on the Upper Karnali is going on smoothly. As for Upper Marshyangdi , the survey work will re-start by the end of the week.”

He further said, “We have taken up the problems at the Upper Marshyangdi II with the Ministry of Energy, political leaders and the local administration. Maoist leaders too are positive to let us move ahead.”

On Sunday GMR participated in talks with local stakeholders in Besisahar, Lamjung, where the Upper Marshyangdi project is located. “The locals are supporting us. We are working in a very down-to-earth manner in the district,” Manocha said.

GMR is also looking forward to holding talks with the agitating Maoist-affiliated Tamu Rastriya Mukti Morcha to end the dispute. “There will be a meeting on Thursday or Friday with the Tamu National Liberation Front to settle the disputes, after which everything should be settled,” Manocha claimed.

On February 15 the Morcha demanded closure of all work related to the 600-MW Upper Marsyangdi-II hydropower project, which is currently at the survey license stage. The project is a private-sector joint venture between Nepal and India . The survey license is owned by Himtal Hydropower Company Pvt. Ltd., in which Nepalis have 20 percent share investment and GMR has 80 percent.

The Ministry of Energy has already condemned the Maoists´ threat and appealed to them not to obstruct the ongoing study for the mega project.

Earlier, on January 25, the Maoists asked the GMR-ITD Consortium to pack up and leave the country. The party warned the Consortium to shut down all work at the 300 MW Upper Karnali site at Tunibagar in Dailekh district. Maoist politburo members Dharmendra Bastola, Hari Bhakta Kandel and Khadga Bahadur BK held a press conference at Mahendranagar to inform the public about the party decision. They had warned of dire consequences if the work was not halted immediately.

Quoting the decision of the Maoist Standing Committee meeting on the Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project, Indian ambassador Rakesh Sood said Monday that the “Maoist leaders must resolve the problems” as they had stated that the problems originated under local initiative and the party had ´no policy´ against hydro-projects.