Kathmandu. A total of 32 hydropower projects in 10 districts of three provinces have been affected due to heavy rains from October 3 to 19.

As per the preliminary data compiled by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), 17 hydropower projects with a capacity of 180 MW in operation and 15 hydropower projects with a capacity of 338 MW have been affected by floods.

IPPAN Chairman Ganesh Karki said that the IPPAN and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology have signed an agreement to exchange early information about floods in the past years.

Chairman Karki said that the physical loss to hydropower projects this time was very less than the heavy rainfall due to timely preparations.

Out of 17 projects in operation, 15 projects are in Ilam

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Hydropower projects in Ilam district of Koshi Province have also been affected the most by floods and landslides. As many as 15 hydropower projects that were in operation in Ilam alone have halted.

These include Mai Khola (4.5 MW), Mai Khola Cascade (8 MW), Mai Khola (Sanima Mai) (22 MW), Mai Cascade (7 MW), Supermai (7.8 MW), Supermai A (9.6 MW), Supermai A (3 MW), Jogmai Khola (7.6 MW), Jogmai Cascade (5.2 MW), Lower Jogmai (6.2 MW), Maibeni (9.5 MW), Upper Mai (9.9 MW), Mai Sea Cascade (5.1 MW), Puwa II (4.96 MW) and Upper Puwa-1 (3 MW) ।

Among the remaining two hydropower projects, the 14.9 MW Hewakhola hydropower project in Panchthar district of Koshi Province and the 52.4 MW Likhu 4 hydropower project in Bagmati Province have been affected. Currently, production of all projects except Likhu has been halted. The production of Likhu 4 was stopped for a little more than an hour.

Damage to under-construction projects

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Most of the damage has been seen on the access road of the under-construction hydropower projects. According to Mohan Kumar Dangi, proprietor of Lalupate Hydropower Project, the 12-kilometer access road constructed by the 49.95 MW Dana Khola Hydropower Project has been landslided.

Dangi said that the road has been washed away in many places as the access road has not been set up as the construction of the project started from this year. Among the under-construction hydropower projects, the 10 MW Siddhikhola Hydropower Project in Ilam is ready to go into commercial production within 10 days.

Construction materials and construction materials of 21.5 MW Sabhakhola ‘B’ and 9.9 MW Hewakhola hydropower projects in Panchthar have been washed away.

The flood has also swept away the access road of 4 hydropower projects in Sindhupalchowk. The flood has swept away the access roads of 36.51 MW Brahmayani, 15.15 MW Upper Bramhayani, 40 MW Balefi and 22.5 MW Lower Balefi Hydropower Project.

The 20 MW Langtang Khola project in Rasuwa, the 15.5 MW Irkhuwa Khola ‘B’ project in Bhojpur, the 14.5 MW Upper Irkhuwa, the 22.5 MW Upper Thulo Khola in Myagdi, the 6.82 MW Hidi Khola project in Lamjung, the 48.8 MW Khimti-2 project in Ramechhap and the 4.5 MW Gasali Khola hydropower project in Dhading have been deferred due to the damages to the access road of the hydropower project.

According to IPPAN, it will take some more time to get details of the damage as the access roads to the ongoing and under-construction projects have been disrupted.