Bhotekoshi River flood damages 11 hydropower projects in Nepal

Severe flooding in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers has caused extensive damage to hydropower infrastructure and resulted in significant casualties. Reports indicate that 11 hydropower projects, with a combined capacity of 669 megawatts, were affected. This includes eight operating projects and four under construction. The Upper Trishuli-1 project, a 216 MW facility, was among the most heavily impacted.

According to data regarding the affected sites, 837 people connected to these projects remain unaccounted for. Specific project reports note that 471 people associated with the Upper Trishuli-1 project are missing, while 93 people are unaccounted for at the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi project.

A study by the international organization World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that the flood traveled at an average speed of approximately 188 kilometers per hour, a velocity comparable to a passenger train. The disaster was triggered on August 26 when a massive rock and glacier section collapsed from an altitude of over 5,150 meters at Langtang Lirung Himal. This collapse created a rapid mixture of water, mud, boulders, and ice that surged through the Bhotekoshi River, traveling 22 kilometers from the Langtang region to the Rasuwagadhi border area in just seven minutes.