Nyadi-Phidi Hydropower Project is a 21.4 MW run-of-river scheme located in Marsyangdi Gaupalika, Wards 6 and 7 of Lamjung District, Gandaki Province. The project harnesses combined flows from the Nyadi and Phidi rivers with a design discharge of 3.6 m³/s and a gross head of 695.66 m, producing 129.14 GWh of electricity annually. The main intake on the Nyadi River is sited near Jaluchhe village at 2,948 masl and the secondary intake on Phidi River at 3,014 masl.

North Summit Hydro Limited engaged IES Nepal to deliver three integrated scopes of work essential to the project's access infrastructure: cadastral survey and GIS mapping of land parcels within the project area; topographic survey of the full 10 km access road alignment with detailed engineering design, hydrological and geotechnical study, cost estimation, construction drawings and tender documentation; and construction supervision of the access and internal roads from commencement through completion.

The assignment spans a 16-month period from March 2023 to July 2024, combining high-precision survey work in remote mountain terrain with the full engineering design cycle and the ongoing quality oversight of road construction- providing the client with a single point of accountability for the access road from cadastral baseline through to verified contractor payment and construction completion.

What We Did

Cadastral survey- desk study, sheet procurement & GIS land parcel mapping

Conducted a desk study and collected all project-related data for the cadastral scope. Procured and transported cadastral sheets from the Department of Survey, Lamjung covering the full project licence boundary. Produced GIS mapping with overlay of the project layout, access road alignment and all structure areas on the cadastral base map, preparing a summary of land-use details including parcel numbers and land areas for each affected plot.

Cadastral map preparation & Department of Survey verification coordination

Prepared and submitted the final cadastral map at an appropriate scale covering the project area, access road corridor and all structure footprints — combining the procured cadastral base with GIS-derived land-use classification and project layout overlays. Coordinated with the client and the Department of Survey, Lamjung for formal approval of the cadastral mapping outputs, ensuring the land acquisition process has a compliant and legally recognised spatial basis.

Road alignment reconnaissance, benchmarks & DGPS / total station topographic survey- 10 km

Carried out site reconnaissance to evaluate and finalise the optimal 10 km access road alignment balancing gradient, cut volume, geological stability and land acquisition constraints. Established a benchmark and control point network along the full alignment using DGPS static transfer. Conducted the detailed topographic survey of the corridor using total station, generating the terrain data required for horizontal and vertical alignment design and for culvert and drainage structure positioning.

Hydrological & geotechnical study along road alignment

Conducted hydrological analysis along the 10 km alignment to size drainage structures — catchment delineation, peak flow estimation and culvert hydraulic design for all side drainage crossings. Carried out geotechnical reconnaissance of the alignment for slope stability risk assessment, cut slope angle determination, retaining structure requirements and identification of sections requiring hard rock blasting — providing the geotechnical basis for the road design and construction methodology.

Detailed design, cost estimation, drawings & tender documentation

Prepared the complete detailed engineering design for the 10 km access road including: horizontal and vertical alignment with plan and profile sheets; culvert, drainage and retaining structure designs with calculations; bill of quantities and cost estimate. Produced a full set of construction drawings at engineering scale and prepared the tender documents with technical specifications for competitive procurement of the road construction contractor- providing the client with a procurement-ready package.

Construction supervision- hard rock blasting identification & bi-monthly site monitoring

Identified road sections requiring hard rock blasting along the approved alignment ahead of construction commencement, informing the contractor's method statement and safety plan. Conducted bi-monthly site visits throughout the construction period to monitor construction progress and quality against design specifications, reviewing construction methodology and suggesting necessary alignment adjustments or structural modifications as dictated by actual site conditions encountered during excavation and formation works.

Joint measurement surveys, running bill verification & bi-monthly progress reports

Participated in joint measurement surveys with the client and contractor to measure completed works volumes against the bill of quantities- verifying quantities of earthwork, road formation, culvert construction and retaining structures before approving interim payment certificates (IPCs) raised by the contractor and recommending payment to the client. Prepared and submitted bi-monthly construction progress reports documenting physical progress, quality observations, pending issues and updated completion forecasts throughout the 16-month supervision period.

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