Puwa River


The Puwa River is a river in Nepal.
It is a right tributary of the Mai Khola.

Location

The Puwa Khola lies entirely within Ilam District.
A 1994 environmental impact study of the Ilam hydroelectric project found 14 species of fish in the Puwa Khola.

Farming

The Geya Danda Irrigation System uses water from the Puwa Khola to irrigate in Puwajung, Ilam Municipality-5, Ilam District, just above the river's confluence with the Mai Khola.
The 6.2 MW Puwa Khola hydro electrical project is about above the irrigation system.
Access road construction has damaged some of the farmland, and about of water is diverted to the power station.
The diverted water flows along a headrace tunnel and then a penstock pipe to the power station, which discharges it into the left bank of the Mai Khola.
This leaves very little irrigation water in the dry season.

Hydroelectricity

There are four hydroelectric plants along the river.
ProjectPowerStatusCommissioned
Puwa Khola-1 Small Hydropower Plant4 MWLive2017-10-09
Puwa II Hydropower Project4.96 MWConstruction
Puwa Khola Hydropower Station6.2 MWLive2004-04-04
Upper Puwa-1 Hydropower Project3 MWLive2015-01-16