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Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has intensified efforts to restore hydropower plants, transmission lines and distribution infrastructure damaged by recent floods and landslides, as it works to stabilize electricity supply and prepare the power system for the upcoming dry season.

The NEA said several hydropower projects are technically capable of generating electricity but remain disconnected from the national grid because transmission infrastructure linking them to the system has been damaged.

220 kV transmission line damage affects seven projects

The four days of heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding damaged the Kushma–Dana 220 kV transmission line, affecting the transmission of electricity generated by seven hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 190.4 MW.

The affected projects are Nilgiri-1 (38 MW), Nilgiri-2 (21 MW), Mistri (42 MW), Thapakhola (13.6 MW), Gharkhola (14.8 MW), Relekhola (6 MW) and Ghalemdi (5 MW).

The NEA estimates that it will take some time to repair the damaged transmission infrastructure and resume the evacuation of electricity from these projects.

Preliminary assessments show that Tower Nos. 21 and 22 of the Dana–Kushma 220 kV transmission line, under the Kaligandaki Corridor in Myagdi, have been damaged.

The extent of the damage could not yet be fully assessed because roads to several affected locations remain blocked by floods and landslides. The NEA said detailed inspection and assessment will continue once access to the sites improves.

Additional 127.8 MW projects affected

Apart from the Rahughat Hydropower Project, transmission and distribution infrastructure serving hydropower projects with a combined capacity of another 127.8 MW has also suffered damage.

According to the NEA, repair work and alternative arrangements could allow these projects to resume generation and transmission within a few days.

The 40 MW Rahughat Hydropower Project, however, has suffered more significant damage. Its tailrace gate and duct have been damaged, while floodwater has entered the turbine floor.

The NEA estimates that approximately 10 days will be required to remove the water, clean the affected equipment and prepare the plant for operation. The project’s switchyard remains in normal condition and has already been charged.

Major corridors gradually returning to operation

The NEA said hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 262 MW in the Seti–Madi Corridor and 190 MW in the Marsyangdi Corridor, which had been disrupted by the floods, have now resumed operation.

The authority is also preparing to restore the 144 MW Kaligandaki Hydropower Plant, which was shut down following the flooding.

The restoration of these plants is important for maintaining system stability, particularly as the country moves toward the dry season when domestic hydropower generation normally declines substantially.

Power services restored in several districts

Floods and landslides had disrupted electricity services in Myagdi, Baglung, Tanahun’s Jhaputar substation area, Manang, Mustang, eastern Rukum, Pyuthan and Rolpa.

The NEA has already restored electricity services in Myagdi, Baglung, Jhaputar in Tanahun and eastern Rukum.

Technical teams have been mobilized to restore services in Mustang, Pyuthan and Rolpa by this evening, while electricity service in Manang is targeted to resume by tomorrow.

The authority said restoration teams are working despite difficult road access and damaged infrastructure in several locations.

Around 430 MW remains outside national grid

The latest disruption comes on top of damage caused by the August 26 (Bhadra 10) floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers.

Damage to the 220 kV hub of the Upper Trishuli-3B project, along with damage to several hydropower projects in the affected area, has left approximately 430 MW of electricity outside the national grid.

The NEA and its subsidiary companies have made a preliminary assessment of around Rs 74 billion in damages to their infrastructure in the affected areas.

The scale of the damage has increased pressure on the authority to restore transmission infrastructure quickly, particularly before the onset of the dry season, when Nepal’s dependence on imported electricity is expected to rise.

NEA plans 1,154 MW electricity imports from India

Meanwhile, the NEA has prepared an electricity import plan to balance supply and demand during the upcoming dry season.

The authority estimates that domestic generation during the dry season will provide around 1,218 MW of electricity.

To meet peak demand and maintain system reliability, the NEA plans to import approximately 1,154 MW from India through multiple transmission routes.

The planned imports include:

- 600 MW through Dhalkebar–Muzaffarpur

- 54 MW through Tanakpur–Mahendranagar

- 350 MW through various points in Bihar

- 150 MW through the Round-the-Clock (RTC) mechanism

With these imports, total electricity availability during the dry season is projected to reach approximately 2,372 MW.

Nepal’s peak national electricity demand during the dry season of the last fiscal year stood at 2,292 MW.

The figures indicate that while planned imports could provide a sufficient supply buffer under normal conditions, timely restoration of flood-damaged generation and transmission infrastructure will remain critical to maintaining that balance.

For the NEA, the immediate challenge is therefore twofold: restoring hundreds of megawatts of generation capacity currently disconnected from the national grid and securing adequate electricity imports to cover the seasonal decline in domestic hydropower production.