No plans to implement the Druk Bindu Hydropower Project, Samtse

Nov 9, 2020

The Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) has no plans to implement the Druk Bindu Hydropower Project in Tendruk, Samtse. Envisioned towards the end of the tenure of the first elected Government, people in Tendruk have been waiting in anticipation. Detailed studies for the 26-megawatt project were carried out until 2017. 

The project would have utilised the Soeltabsa River, formerly Druk Bindu, which is just ahead of the Jaldhakha barrage on the Bhutan-India international boundary.

The two-stage project with a combined power generation capacity of 26-megawatts was estimated to cost about Nu 2bn. And the residents of Tendruk had high expectations from the project.

“People here were delighted. They were expecting new developments in Tendruk. Some people had hopes of employment through the project,” said Tek Bdr. Gurung, from Nyizergang under Tendruk Gewog in Samtse.

“Some may have forgotten about the hydropower project, but most haven’t. I was very excited. It was supposed to be a big economic prospect. I thought this would bring economic opportunities to not just my gewog but also the entire dzongkhag,” said Nima Drukpa, the chairperson of Samtse Dzongkhag Tshogdu.

However, the Managing Director of the DGPC says the Druk Bindu project will not be implemented since the country has enough electricity for domestic consumption and export as well.

Sherub Dorji