2024-05-27

Funding Agency: Government of Nepal
Client: Department of Water Resources and Irrigation
Date: January 2021 – September 2022

Integrated Energy and Irrigation Special Program intend to obtain consultancy services for the preparation of a Master Plan for the development of Solar Lift Irrigation in various river basin which includes detailed study and reporting of all individual sub-projects, inventory of existing irrigation system, and identification of area which have potential for rock aquifer along with the possibility of solar power production to integrate into the national grid.

The study area covers the arable land lying along the two banks of Sunkoshi River and Tamakoshi River covering about 30 km lengths and a buffer width in general of about 2 Km from banks, both left and right of both rivers and lying in general within 150 m above the sources water level will be considered. In case of major tributes of at least 6 nos. the area extends at least 3 km upstream of the confluences keeping all other parameters the same.

 The Consultant was overall responsible for carrying out desk study, fieldwork, and office work to prepare a comprehensive master plan to implement the project(s).

The General Scope of works shall be but not limited to:

• Identification of overall cultivable area and preparation of an inventory of the potential area for lift irrigation systems.
• Identify the assured source of water and location of the well/tube well to be constructed/drilled as per hydrogeological investigation and/or geophysical survey.
• Identify and delineate the cultivable areas that are feasible for lift irrigation systems using solar-driven pumps and/or electro-mechanical pumps.
• Conduct a necessary survey to identify site/s for the location of the pump house, Intake site with its best feasible type, solar panel installation, reservoir tanks, and other necessary major/minor structures for the development of a complete lift irrigation system.
• Determine the best delivery pipeline alignment, lift head, and length of the delivery line.
• Classify, in consultation with the client, the sub-projects into various groups based on lift head, command area, discharge, and source type.
• Determine the required capacity of hybrid-type pumps (solar and electrically driven pumps) and PV modules for each classification type.
• Mapping of existing electric power supply arrangement and additional arrangements (including transmission arrangements, transformers, etc.) required to supply power to the pump systems including power and location.
• Obtain agricultural, socio-economic, and environmental data.
• Prepare cost estimates combined and separately of the civil and electromechanical parts of each individual sub-project and of the whole basin in question.
• Carry out detailed design, cost estimate, and economic analysis of the individual projects along the main River and the tributaries. However, the design of the pump and solar panel can be limited to each classification type which will be agreed upon by the client. The document prepared after these studies should include all the aspects of a Detailed Feasibility Study (DFS) report ready for approval by the DWRL The consultant shall make the necessary changes and incorporate the comments made by the scrutinizing agency without delay and be responsible for getting the each DFS approved by the DWRI, Director General.
• Prepare a comprehensive master plan covering all technical, economic, social, agricultural, and environmental and implementation aspects for implementing the project(s).