KATHMANDU: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has cancelled his visit to South Korea.

Minister Shrestha cancelled the scheduled visit citing the priorities of rescue, rehabilitation and regularization of power supply due to the natural disaster in the country and the damage caused to the energy sector by it.

The Ministry has the responsibility of coordinating effectively in search and rescue operations as the floods in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river system have caused huge damage to the energy sector and a large number of people are still out of contact. Minister Shrestha also decided to postpone his foreign trips to rehabilitate the damaged power structures, make necessary facilitation to the affected private energy entrepreneurs, and expedite the post-disaster reconstruction and recovery works.

Minister Shrestha was invited to attend the ‘Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference 2026’ to be held in Seoul, South Korea from September 15 to 17 as a keynote speaker.

The Council of Ministers had approved the visit of Minister Shrestha on July 27 with a team comprising Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Dirgha Kumar Shrestha among others.