Background

It was necessary for Nepal to establish a research centre to study and solve the complex issues and problems associated with hydraulics and sediment in its Himalayan steep rivers for sustainable water resources development. Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University (IOE-TU) in mid eighties planned for a Water Resource Research Centre in Nepal. A hydraulic laboratory was set up with joint co-operation between Norwegian University of Technology and IOE-TU to carry out physical hydraulic model study of headworks of 12 MW hydropower project. The study continued for the period from1989 to 1991. Professor Dagfinn K. Lysne from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) was instrumental in materializing this hydraulic laboratory. Similarly, the physical model study for the headworks of 60 MW hydropower project was also performed in the same laboratory in 1996 to 1997. In order to provide continuation to this work, Hydro Lab Private Limited (Hydro Lab) was established with the financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Since the establishment, Hydro Lab has cooperation with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) Norway. NTNU and ICH has been providing scientific and technical support to the Hydro Lab.

The utmost importance of physical hydraulic scale model is accepted and recognized because of the fact that empirical formula and computer simulation are not sufficient for a reliable hydraulic design of hydraulic structures for headworks. As every river is different from the other in terms of hydraulic behaviour and sediment transport, model study becomes essential to ensure the sustainability of designed headworks in a proposed location.

Water resource is the most important natural heritage of Nepal. Nepal’s economy can be uplifted only through harnessing the abundantly flowing steep rivers in Nepal. Rivers are exploited by building structures in the rivers for hydropower, irrigation and drinking water projects. For the successful growth of water resource development projects it is important to have a centre which can fulfil the technical need for safe and reliable design and operation of the projects. Hydro Lab was founded to meet this need of the hour and the country.

It is worth mentioning that Hydro Lab is the only and first research organisation in Nepal which is capable of performing physical hydraulic model studies for water resources development projects. Besides, it has developed expertise in hydro turbine efficiency measurement and sediment studies.