The Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has reported further progress in rescue, relief and electricity restoration operations following the devastating Bhotekoshi River flood on Bhadra 10, 2083 BS, which damaged hydropower infrastructure and disrupted electricity services in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. According to an official update issued on Bhadra 18, 2083 BS, the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, together with the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, participated in the first briefing of a Nepal Army-led rescue operation. The ministers reviewed ongoing search and rescue activities and received updates on efforts to locate and rescue people trapped inside hydropower project tunnels. The ministry stated that electricity services had been restored in most areas of Rasuwa, while repair and reconstruction work was continuing in remaining affected locations.
In Nuwakot’s Kispang Rural Municipality, authorities have restored electricity by mobilizing available power sources, equipment and technical personnel. The ministry also reported that electricity supply from the Sanjen Khola Hydropower Project was being operated in isolated mode, with preparations underway to construct a new 11 kV distribution line to expand electricity services to additional areas. Meanwhile, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) continued planning the reconstruction of flood-damaged transmission infrastructure, including new transmission towers, lines and other facilities. Technical teams were also working to restore electricity in Naukunda, Kalika, Gosaikunda, Uttargaya and Amachhodingmo rural municipalities, using alternative arrangements where necessary.
Rescue operations remained a major priority, with Nepal Army personnel, Indian Army specialists, Korean experts and hydropower project engineers jointly conducting search and rescue activities inside flood-affected hydropower tunnels. The ministry reported that drilling, excavation and debris removal were continuing, supported by heavy equipment including excavators, back loaders and Bobcat machines. These operations were intended to reach individuals trapped underground while addressing the difficult physical conditions created by flooding and debris accumulation. The ministry emphasized that rescue teams were continuing their coordinated efforts, although the update did not confirm that all trapped individuals had been rescued.
The ministry further reported that two institutional solar electricity systems, each with a peak capacity of 20 kWp, were being installed in Bidur, Nuwakot, in coordination with the District Disaster Management Committee and local authorities. The installations were being carried out under the supervision of officials from the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and the district administration. Separately, a meeting involving AEPC and Nepal Solar Energy Producers’ Association representatives agreed to coordinate the repair of all seven solar electricity systems operating at the Sanjen Hydropower site. The ministry also decided that detailed information on progress, technical personnel and available resources should be submitted to AEPC by Bhadra 19, 2083 BS. The update, signed by Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Mohan Kumar Shakya, outlines continuing rescue and restoration measures but does not announce a deadline for completing all operations.
