Nepal could turn to India for electricity supplies after devastating flash floods damaged nearly 360 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity, equivalent to about 8% of the country’s total installed capacity, according to the energy ministry of the country.
The floods, triggered by a collapsing glacier in the Himalayan region between Nepal and Tibet, severely affected hydropower infrastructure. Nine operational hydroelectric projects across two districts were damaged, while a 25-MW solar plant and five hydropower projects under construction, with a combined capacity of 390 MW, were also impacted.
Power Supply Under Pressure
Hydropower contributes more than 90% of Nepal’s approximately 4,300 MW generation capacity, making the damage particularly significant. Repair crews are working to restore affected facilities, but temporary shortages could force the landlocked country to seek additional electricity from India.
Nepal normally exports surplus hydropower to India during the summer months and relies on imports during winter, when lower river flows and freezing conditions reduce domestic generation. Last year, Nepal supplied India with around 600 MW of round-the-clock electricity for six months and had planned to increase exports by another 500 MW this year.
The latest floods, however, have disrupted that outlook. The disaster in a valley near the Chinese border killed at least 160 people, while more than 1,300 people remained missing.
Disaster Raises Questions Over Himalayan Hydropower
The destruction has renewed concerns about the risks associated with expanding hydropower infrastructure in the environmentally fragile Himalayan region. Although snow-fed rivers provide Nepal with substantial potential for clean electricity generation, extreme weather events can expose large infrastructure projects to significant risks.
Experts have pointed out that Rasuwa district, one of the worst-hit areas, experienced a similar, though smaller, disaster last year.
Himanshu Thakkar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People called for detailed scientific assessments of the risks and benefits before further hydropower projects are developed in vulnerable areas.
