Bhotekoshi Flood Devastates 11 Hydropower Projects, 837 Missing
Severe flooding in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26 damaged hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 669 MW, leaving 837 people unaccounted for. The worst-hit was the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 project, with 471 missing. The report also cites inconsistent figures, including a reference to '494 projects'.
KATHMANDU, Sept 20 – The severe flooding in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26 caused extensive damage to hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 669 megawatts (MW), according to a report on the affected sites. The report states that 837 people associated with these projects remain unaccounted for.
The report lists eight operating projects with a combined capacity of 281 MW and four projects under construction with a combined capacity of 388 MW. However, it elsewhere gives the total number of affected projects as 11, indicating a discrepancy.
Among the worst hit was Upper Trishuli-1, a 216 MW project under construction in Rasuwa. The report says 471 people associated with the project were unaccounted for, 936 were found safe or rescued, and 11 bodies were recovered.
At the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi project, 93 people were reported unaccounted for and seven were found safe or rescued. Three people were unaccounted for at the 120 MW Rasuwagadhi–Bhotekoshi project, where five were found safe or rescued.
At the 20 MW Langtang Khola project, 39 people remained unaccounted for and 19 were rescued safely. The 22 MW Chilime project had 71 personnel on site, according to the report, with one person from its site office unaccounted for.
The number of people working at the 5 MW Mailung Khola project at the time of the flood has not been confirmed. Seven people associated with it were reported unaccounted for.
The report also says 614 people were unaccounted for across affected projects in Rasuwa. Its final line refers to “494 projects”, a figure that appears inconsistent with the project totals elsewhere in the text.