Panauti Hydropower Station Visit
North Valley English Secondary School pays immense gratefulness to Dr. Iswor Bajracharya (C.E.O), Mr. Kumar Dhakal( Deputy Director) and Mrs. Sarita Bindukar (Principal) and Mr. Anil Bindukar (Vice Principal) for the coordination of the visit.
Our sincere gratitude also goes to Mr. Amardeep Paudel, an English Teacher for reviewing the draft of the visit by providing valuable suggestions and propositions. We cannot also stop paying respect to the Science and Maths Teachers; Mr. Paras Regmi and Mr. Ram Kumar Niraula respectively, as they had been to the educational trip and provided essential feedback and opinions to work on it.
The students of Tenth Standard from North Valley English Secondary School had been to Panauti Hydropower Project on 11th of May, 2018 as a part of school’s educational excursion. Panauti Power House also known as Khopasi (Panauti) Hydropower Station is the third hydropower station which was constructed in Nepal in 1971 A.D. This power project has been the cornerstone in the power development from the N.E.A. With its establishment, the prospects of power development came to limelight. It is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant on the Roshi Khola River with a capacity of 2.4 MW, each turbine producing 0.8MW. This power plant was completed with aid from the Soviet Union. The trip to Panauti was extremely astounding and remarkable. The students from the school with their teachers Mr. Ram Niroula and Paras Regmi started their journey to their destination reserving the comfortable luxurious buses. The students really enjoyed the observation of the natural sceneries and beauties on the way. The great statue of the Lord Shiva also really attracted the attention on the way.
Objectives of the Excursion
- To settle the excursion trip to hydropower and let the students finalize the project work.
- To analyze and consider on how the electricity is produced, the process of electric supply.
- To study and observe the technology of one of the oldest hydropower projects of Nepal.
- To get facts and information regarding the magnetic field and electric production.
- To get recreation ourselves being far from the crowded city parts.
- To know the mechanism of hydro-electricity production.
- To know about the geographical situation.
- To give suggestions for defensible and operative management of hydropower project to concerned authority.
Methodology/Data and Information
The visit has been successful and meaningful in the sense; required information was gathered from the trip to Panauti project. The students were able to collect various information and data regarding Panauti Hydropower Project in their excursion. They also made the study of the power house with different methodologies and sources to gather ideas. The objectives were considered well in the mind by the students to achieve their target of study. There were 3 turbines; each produces 0.8 MW of electricity.
The primary and secondary methods of data and information collection were used by the students during their research. The sources of data collection were mentioned below.
i. Primary sources: The primary sources of data collection include the involvement of observers and researchers in gaining and collecting information by their own list of questionnaires and field visits. The researchers, here in this case, the students of N.V.E.S.S. had already prepared the list of questionnaires to be asked in their hydro power visit. The students even asked their teachers; Ram sir and Paras sir who helped with their valuable co-operations, suggestions and co-ordinations. The pictures clicked in the power houses also helped to some extent in gaining information about the project. The local people of the power house gave much information to the students about the establishment of the power house, the reuses of water after the outlet. Even the students got ideas from the technicians of Power house and they were informed about the placement of the turbines, magnetic field, copper wires, and inducement of current in copper wire and so on.
ii. Secondary sources: The students tried to gather information regarding the hydropower from the secondary sources as well. The ideas and information were collected from the internet, from the articles, books, and other sources as well. The students got ideas about the power house project from other historical primary sources as well. The students got ideas about the current situation of electricity in Nepal through other statistics published by C.B.S.
Analysis
Hydropower is the term that refers to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing of water. This is mostly used form of renewable source of energy.
The power house is at Khopasi Kavre. The travel from school to power house was nearly 2 hours. The students learnt about how the electricity is produced through water collected in the dam. First of all, the water is collected in the dam and the water is let to pass through the tunnel in big pipes as well. The height of the dam makes the effective production of the electricity. If the dam is constructed at minimum height or less height then the flow of the water becomes less speedy.
The fast flow of water through the tunnel also rotates the turbine with great speed. Turbine is joined with a rod. There is a big stationary magnet near the rod. The energy of the water rotates the turbine over the magnetic field which induces current in the wire connected in the defined arrangement. After the current induction, again the current is passed through the wire. There is a meter reading which indicates the working mechanisms. Then the current is supplied in transmitter and transferred to several places.
Recommendations and suggestions
There were some problems in Panauti Power House. Power House and both dams were small. Dams should be made large so that power house will be able to produce a large amount of electricity and supply it to several places. Modern equipment should replace older ones. The modern system developed in the latest time should be used in the project. The road that led to the power house should be widened as it helps to minimize the accidents on the way to the power house. The GON should invest with proper care and management in the power house.
Conclusion
Thus, the trip to power house was educational and beneficial for the students as it motivated the students. This type of excursion helps to promote the students, make them learn practical skills and also provides a good orientation among teachers and students. This educational visit definitely provided a platform for the students and teachers to observe the real hydropower plant and helped them to learn some important components and system installed therein.