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Electricity supply has been restored in most parts of Rasuwa within six days of the devastating Bhotekoshi River flood that severely damaged the district’s power distribution infrastructure.

The flash flood that occurred on Wednesday caused extensive damage to electricity poles, transmission and distribution lines, transformers and other infrastructure, leaving large parts of the district without power.

Due to the damage, electricity supply was completely cut off in Rasuwa, while many parts of Nuwakot and Dhading were also left without power.

According to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), electricity was reconnected to Rasuwa on Monday following continuous efforts by its technicians and management despite adverse weather and difficult geographical conditions.

Gunjaman Tamang, chief of the NEA’s Rasuwa Distribution Centre, said electricity supply was restored on Monday to all areas of Kalika Rural Municipality and some areas of Naukunda Rural Municipality in Rasuwa.

Electricity supply was also restored in some parts of Wards 5 and 6 of Gosainkunda Rural Municipality.

With the district headquarters, Dhunche, also reconnected, electricity has now been restored to around 30 per cent of households in Rasuwa.

A new 11 kV line, about one kilometre long, has been immediately constructed from Suryagadhi in Nuwakot to the Rasuwa border to provide electricity to Rasuwa, Tamang told The Rising Nepal.

He said that although voltage problems may be seen in some places as electricity is supplied through long-distance alternative lines, normal electrical equipment can be operated.

The NEA said around 85 per cent of the affected areas in Nuwakot, Dhading and Rasuwa had been reconnected to the electricity grid by Monday.

It said efforts were under way to restore power fully in the remaining areas within a week.

A technical team led by Rajan Dhakal, head of the Distribution and Customer Service Directorate, and Munindra Thakur, director of the Bagmati Provincial Office, along with chiefs of the respective distribution centres, has been working day and night in the field to restore electricity services.

With the restoration of power supply in the affected areas after the continuous efforts of the technical team, the daily life of the local residents is gradually returning to normal.

Earlier, the NEA had restored electricity supply to various flood-affected areas of Nuwakot through alternative transmission arrangements after flooding in the Bhotekoshi River disrupted the regular power supply system.

Electricity service has been restored in various areas of Nuwakot by charging the Devighat-Chapali 66 kV transmission line to 11 kV.

In Nuwakot too, floods and landslides have damaged poles, wires and distribution lines in various places.

Work is underway to bury poles, move poles at risk of landslides to safer places and construct new lines in the affected areas of Bidur, Kispang, Tarakeswar and Belkotgadhi, said the NEA.

The NEA had supplied around 7 megawatts of electricity to the system from various sources to restore regular electricity supply in Nuwakot district. Nearly 85 per cent households have been supplied with the power, while in Dhading power has been restored in 98 per cent of households.

NEA prepares to operate Sanjen plant in isolated mode

Meanwhile, the NEA has started preparations to operate the Sanjen Hydropower Plant in isolated mode to restore power supply in Rasuwa, where the power supply has been affected due to floods.

The NEA is trying to restore power supply in the affected areas of Rasuwa by bringing the local power system into operation separately, said Tamang.

According to NEA, the necessary technical preparations and coordination were under way in this regard.

To generate electricity from the Sanjen Hydropower Project and connect its supply to the local system, the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation is coordinating with a Chinese company through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure the necessary assistance to reset the machine's password.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said it has adopted a strategy of mobilising alternative energy sources to meet immediate needs while simultaneously carrying out repairs to flood-damaged electricity infrastructure and working to restore regular power supply.

Author: Laxman Kafle