Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: As many as 894 people are missing from 11 hydropower projects affected by the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26.
Data compiled by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) show 12 hydropower projects—eight operating projects with a combined generation capacity of 281 MW and four projects under construction with a capacity of 388 MW—have been affected by the floods.
Rasuwa, which borders China, has been the worst affected, with 726 people affiliated to six hydropower projects missing. These include the 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1, 111-MW Rasuwagadhi, 120-MW Rasuwabhotekoshi-1, 20-MW Langtang Khola, 22-MW Chilime and 5-MW Mailung Khola projects.
The 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 project alone has reported 573 people missing. The project is being developed by Nepal Water and Energy Development Company (NWEDC). The figure includes around 300 workers who were working inside tunnels, while it remains unclear whether they were inside the tunnels or had yet to enter them when the flood struck.
The 111-MW Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project has reported 93 people missing, including 49 employees of the project company. The Nepali Army conducted a search operation inside the project’s tunnel on Monday, using engineers and a drone team, after fears that people could have been trapped in the final section of the tunnel. However, no human remains were found.
In Nuwakot, six major hydropower projects have reported 168 people missing. They include the 24-MW Trishuli Hydropower Project, 14.1-MW Devighat Hydropower Project, 60-MW Upper Trishuli-3A, 37-MW Upper Trishuli-3B, 15.6-MW Middle Trishuli Ganga and 25-MW Solar Power Project.
Search and rescue operations are continuing at several projects where workers are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.
At the 60-MW Upper Trishuli-3A project, rescue operations continued for 24 hours on Monday. Rescue workers have so far been able to clear only the tunnel portal.
At the 22-MW Chilime Hydropower Project, rescue operations resumed Monday after being affected by the flood on Sunday.
The Nepal Army, armed police, an Indian technical team and project personnel worked throughout the day to clear the route to the powerhouse. The rescue team had advanced about 90 meters into the 250-meter-long tunnel but was unable to proceed further.
A rescue team led by the Nepal Army also reached the 20-MW Langtang Khola Hydropower Project on Monday for an inspection. The team included personnel from the Nepal Army and Indian Army as well as technical experts. However, the team was unable to rescue those believed to be trapped inside the tunnel, and the project said it would resume rescue efforts from its side on Tuesday.
Search operations have also continued at the 37-MW Upper Trishuli-3B project. All structures of the project were swept away by the flood, making the rescue operation particularly challenging. The 220-kV Trishuli-3B Hub Substation has also suffered extensive damage, and authorities are searching for people who lost contact from the substation.
| S.N. | Hydropower project | Capacity | Status | People missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Trishuli-1 | 216 MW | Under construction | 573 |
| 2 | Rasuwagadhi | 111 MW | Operating | 93 |
| 3 | Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi | 120 MW | Under construction | 4 |
| 4 | Langtang Khola | 20 MW | Testing | 41 |
| 5 | Chilime | 22 MW | Operating | 8 |
| 6 | Mailung Khola | 5 MW | Operating | 7 |
| 7 | Trishuli | 24 MW | Operating | 1 |
| 8 | Devighat | 14.1 MW | Operating | 1 |
| 9 | Upper Trishuli-3A | 60 MW | Operating | 42 |
| 10 | Upper Trishuli-3B | 37 MW | Under construction | 122 |
| 11 | Middle Trishuli Ganga | 15.6 MW | Under construction | 2 |
| 12 | Solar Power Project | 25 MW | Operating | — |
| Total | 669 MW | 894 |
Source: IPPAN
