Chukha Hydropower Dam

The Chukha plant on the Wang Chhu was Bhutan's first large hydropower project, built with Indian assistance and commissioned in the 1980s. It set the pattern for everything that followed: Bhutan generates far more electricity than it uses, sells the surplus to India, and has built an economy on it.

Hydropower is the country's largest export and a substantial share of government revenue, which is why a dam counts as a landmark here in a way it would not elsewhere. It sits on the climbing road between Phuentsholing and Thimphu, in the steep gorge country of Chukha district, and is a common stop on the drive up from the border.