Kathmandu. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has started developing a real-time update system for search and rescue, relief and reconstruction of hydropower projects in the flood-affected areas of Rasuwa.

Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha on Sunday directed the government to prepare a system for real-time updates at a meeting of the High Level Management Mechanism (SMT).

So far, the Ministry of Energy has been coordinating with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. As per the instructions of Minister Shrestha, it is now going to build its own information system.

Ministry’s Spokesperson Mohan Kumar Shakya said that the real-time update system is being formally introduced to get real details of what is being carried out in which hydropower projects and sites under the Ministry for immediate dissemination of information.

“How many people are trapped in which hydropower projects, how many are inside and outside the tunnel? Where are the rescue operations going on in our affected 16 projects? How many people have been rescued outside? What are the efforts being made inside? How are we mobilizing the material? With whom are we coordinating? Is the material on the way or has it reached the place? We are also making a mechanism that can pull national and international experts into it. What have we done so far from Day One to Day Five, Day Six? We are also trying to document what we have done at what time,” he said.

The real-time update system would be used to record and monitor the status of workers and employees inside and outside the tunnel, the status of rescue, mobilization of materials and pooling of required national/international experts in the 16 major disaster-affected hydropower projects.

Minister Shrestha active in rescue and reconstruction through SMT

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As soon as the floods hit Rasuwa, Minister Shrestha had formed a high-level management committee (SMT) under his leadership for disaster management, rapid rescue and infrastructure reconstruction. A high-level mechanism comprising secretaries of the ministry, departments, divisions and centers, MD of Nepal Electricity Authority and other senior officials was involved in rescue, relief and reconstruction from the very beginning to address the disaster situation and the damage to hydropower projects, substations and irrigation infrastructure.

The senior officials under the ministry were themselves deployed in the field. They coordinated with other agencies under them in material management and assisted the Ministry of Home Affairs in the rescue operation. At the same time, the mechanism was active in providing electricity to the places where the power supply was disrupted and arranging alternative energy. With the initiative of the mechanism, 90 percent of the places in Nuwakot have been re-electrified and the work of re-electrification is going on at a rapid pace in Rasuwa.

Minister Shrestha is coordinating leadership with everyone from the field level to the top through this mechanism. Minister Shrestha held two meetings of the SMT on Sunday and took a briefing of all the works. He directed all the agencies concerned to work by showing leadership by mobilizing all their subordinates. He also directed everyone to work according to the coordinating role played by the ministry so far.

What worked?

Immediate field mobilization: On the very first day after the formation of the SMT committee, a team of technical and high officials was mobilized to the affected sites.

Immediate Purchase and Transfer of Alternative Energy Materials: On the very first day, the process of purchasing and managing 2 KW institutional solar technology and 500 20 watt solar sets was initiated to maintain immediate communication and illumination in the areas where the lights have been disconnected. On the second day itself, these materials were sent to the affected areas (Rasuwa) through a one-door system.

Coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Disaster Authority: As the main responsibility of rescue work lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been fully coordinated with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).

Mobilization of Physical and Technical Resources: Extroverts, drilling machines, vehicles and other essential materials available with Nepal Electricity Authority and Departments were immediately mobilized to assist the rescue teams.

Participation of expert teams: National and international expert teams are also being coordinated for rescue and removal of complex technical obstacles.

Now real-time update: Continuous coordination with the Disaster Authority and other bodies has been done for the last 5 days and now the ‘Real Time Update’ mechanism is being formally implemented under the Ministry to get real time information about what is happening in which project and site.

What’s going on now?

The High-Level Management Mechanism has now expedited the task of identifying resources and formulating work procedures for rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of damaged hydropower projects and substations by conducting detailed damage assessments in collaboration with the National Planning Commission and the Disaster Authority.

According to the Ministry, the mechanism has forwarded works to reconstruct more than 400 megawatts or 10 percent of the electricity supply affected by the floods.