AmarnepalBudget Analysis
ProposedProposed / under development

Pancheshwar Multipurpose Projectपञ्चेश्वर बहुउद्देश्यीय आयोजना

A 6,480 MW reservoir multipurpose project on the Mahakali (Sharda) River shared between Nepal (Baitadi/Darchula) and India, the centerpiece of the 1996 Mahakali Treaty. Despite a dedicated Pancheshwar Development Authority, the DPR has remained unfinalised for decades over benefit-sharing disputes; joint expert meetings continue but construction has not started.

Installed capacity

6,480 MW

Reservoir

River / basin

Mahakali

Mahakali basin

Location

Baitadi / Darchula

Sudurpashchim

Expected online

TBD

Proposed / under development

Project timeline

Milestones & projected timeline

Key dates so far, with planned milestones marked. Future dates are targets from the developer or government and frequently shift.

  1. 1996

    Mahakali Treaty signed; project envisioned

  2. 2014

    Pancheshwar Development Authority established

  3. 2025

    Joint expert group meetings to finalise DPR (still pending)

  4. TBDPlanned

    Construction subject to DPR agreement

On the map

Location

Approximate dam-area location on OpenStreetMap — precise to the district and river reach, not the exact structure.

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Filter by stageTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

Sources & data note

Figures for Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project are compiled from the sources below and cross-checked where possible. Status and projected dates reflect research as of mid-2026 and may change as the project progresses. The map location is an approximate dam-area estimate. Commentary is Amarnepal's own.