Kathmandu/dhading, Feb. 5 -- It's election season, and once again the much-awaited Budhigandaki hydropower project is back on the national agenda, creating renewed buzz and political attention.

The proposed 1,200-megawatt project, with an estimated cost of nearly $3 billion including inflation and interest during its proposed eight-year construction period, is Nepal's largest reservoir-type hydropower scheme.

Insiders describe it as a long-term energy security project, particularly because it is expected to generate 1,408 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity during the dry season, when Nepal faces acute power shortages and relies heavily on imports from India.

Against this backdrop, a signature campaign was launched in Dhading, the proj...