Kathmandu. About five thousand houses in northern Gorkha have been left without electricity due to the Budhigandaki floods. On Sunday, the flood in the Budhi Gandaki River from Ungilung Khola of Chumnubri Rural Municipality-6 swept away the Sirdibas Uhiya Micro Hydropower Project at Jagat-3 of the rural municipality.

Sujan Gurung, chairperson of the Sirdibas Uhiya Micro Hydropower Project, said that power supply has been disrupted in Chumnubri Rural Municipality Ward No. 3 and Ward No. 6 after the flood swept away the hydropower project. According to Gurung, power supply has been disrupted in Lokpa, Dungla, Nyac, Film, Chisapani, Anga, Sasryun, Nagchet, Ghattekhola, Pangsing, Jagat, Salleri, Paiyu, Bhaluban and Sirdibas of Chumnubri. As a result, 971 households have been affected, he said.

“The flood swept away 12 electric poles, a tower and wires. The power house is safe,” he said, adding, “There has been no electricity in this area since the floods occurred at 4:00 am on Sunday.” Narayan Sapkota, chief administrative officer of Chumnubri, said that the villages of northern Gorkha are facing problems due to the lack of electricity. According to him, the administrative work of the municipality has come to a standstill due to the lack of electricity and internet. He said that private organizations and local citizens are also suffering.

He says, “The flood swept away the bridge, washed away the road, and also swept away the electricity. In today’s digital age, there is a problem in information exchange due to the lack of electricity. Hundreds of lives were saved because of the phone contact yesterday morning.” Sapkota said that everyone used to charge their mobile phones and connect with them outside through the solar installed in some houses of the film.

Kumari Gurung, former vice-chairperson of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, said that there is no situation to reach from one village to another in the flood-affected areas of northern Gorkha. “There is neither a place to go down nor go up. The flood washed away the bridges and roads,” he said, adding, “This place has become dark due to lack of electricity. Thankfully, there has been no human casualty.” Gurung said that most of the villages in northern Gorkha are facing problems of electricity and internet.

Dharche Rural Municipality in northern Gorkha has been hit hard by the floods. Chief Administrative Officer of the rural municipality, Buddhiram Basnet, said that around four thousand houses in all seven wards of the rural municipality have been without electricity at present. He said that Dharche Rural Municipality has been left in darkness after the floods damaged the distribution center of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) at Arughat. “The flood swept away electricity, communication, roads and bridges,” he said.

According to Raju Gurung, chairperson of Arughat Rural Municipality, 50 households have also been without electricity. According to him, power supply has been disrupted in 50 households in Shantibazar area of Ward No. 5 of Arughat.