Dhaka
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Electricity generation at several hydropower plants in Nepal has been disrupted after severe flash flooding hit the Bhotekoshi River. As a result, electricity supplies from Nepal to Bangladesh have been completely suspended.
Nepalese media outlet The Kathmandu Post reported the development on Wednesday (September 2).
According to the report, electricity generation at Nepal’s hydropower plants increases during the monsoon as river flows rise. After meeting domestic demand, Nepal exports surplus electricity to neighbouring countries, including India.
Nepal recently began supplying electricity to Bangladesh through the Indian power grid. However, the supply was suspended after flash floods struck the Bhotekoshi River on August 26 and damaged several hydropower plants.
The Kathmandu Post reported that several hydropower plants in Nepal have been forced to shut down following the floods. This has also affected the country’s electricity exports. During the dry season, Nepal typically exports around 1,000 megawatts of electricity, but the figure has now fallen to approximately 650 megawatts.
Electricity demand in Nepal rises during the winter. The country once had to import electricity during this period, but as hydropower generation expanded, Nepal gradually emerged as a regional electricity exporter.
Two projects have been approved to export electricity to Bangladesh: the 22.1-megawatt Chilime Hydropower Project and the 24-megawatt Trishuli Hydropower Project. Both plants were damaged by the floods. As a result, electricity generation at both projects has been completely halted since last week.
The two projects had been exporting electricity to Bangladesh in US dollars using the Indian power grid.
Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, said both power plants supplying electricity to Bangladesh had been damaged. He added that Nepal had requested India to allow electricity to be supplied to Bangladesh through the Indian grid from alternative projects.
