A destructive flood originating from Tibet severely impacted the hydropower sector in Nepal via the Bhote Koshi River. Over 600 megawatts of hydropower capacity has been affected, leading to shutdowns and construction delays with significant economic losses expected.
A devastating flood that came from Tibet, China, has caused extensive damage to Nepal’s hydropower sector through the Bhote Koshi River. According to the Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN), more than 600 megawatts of hydropower projects have been affected by the flood.
IPPAN reports that hydropower projects with a total operational capacity of about 250 megawatts have completely stopped production, while construction work on projects exceeding 350 megawatts has been halted. The projects that have ceased production include Rasuwagadhi (111 MW), Trishuli 3 ‘A’ (60 MW), Chilime (22 MW), Upper Mailung (14 MW), and Mailung Khola (5 MW). Additionally, damage to the Trishuli 3 ‘B’ hub substation has disrupted the connection of electricity produced by Upper Mailung, Devighat, and Trishuli Hydropower Centers to the national transmission line.
Furthermore, significant damage has been caused to transmission lines and substations of under-construction projects such as Upper Trishuli-1 (216 MW), Super Trishuli (100 MW), and Trishuli 3 ‘B’ (37 MW). Due to this, electricity production and transmission are expected to remain suspended for several days, resulting in economic losses worth millions of rupees.
IPPAN has expressed gratitude towards the Nepal government, army, police, and armed police forces involved in rescuing over 150 people trapped by the flood. The association has urged the government for policy facilitation to quickly rebuild the damaged infrastructure.
IPPAN also called for necessary steps to prevent such disasters in the future. They paid tribute to those who lost their lives, requested efforts to find missing persons, and wished for the recovery of the injured.
This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com
Translated with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
