• Union Cabinet approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal for construction of a bridge over Mahakali river at Dharchula in Uttarakhand.

• The MoU between India and Nepal will be signed in the near future and the bridge will be completed within three years.

• The construction of the bridge will help people living in Dharchula in Uttarakhand and in the territory of Nepal.

Mahakali River

• The river Kali, also known as Sharda River and Mahakali River, originating from trans Himalayan zone forms the continuous border with Nepal all through its course from Kalapani to Tanakpur where terminating its serpentine hilly course it finally enters plains and is then called Sharda. 

• River Kali is the largest and the most important river of the Kumaon region.

• The Kali River possesses an immense potential for irrigation and hydro electric generation and a project for the construction of a dam at Pancheshwar is pending under political negotiations with Nepal.

• Saryu is the largest tributary, which rises in the north-west area of Baijnath in Central Kumaon. It merges with the Kali River at Pancheshwar. 

Pancheshwar Main Dam

• Pancheshwar Main Dam is proposed on river Mahakali. The dam site is around 2.5 km downstream of the confluence of river Saryu with river Mahakali. The project would consist of a rock-fill dam with a central clay core of 311 m height from the deepest foundation level. 

• Two underground power houses at Pancheshwar dam, one on each bank of Mahakali River, each with a capacity of (6x400 MW) with the total installed capacity of nearly 4,800 MW are proposed to be constructed. The power plant at main dam will be operated as the peaking station to meet energy demand in India and Nepal.

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