India approves 18-hour daily power exports to Nepal until Dec 31

Kathmandu / Sept 15: India has approved the export of electricity to Nepal for 18 hours a day until December 31, following last month’s devastating floods that wiped out nearly a tenth of Nepal’s generation capacity, according to media reports.

The deluge, triggered by the collapse of a glacier, killed almost 1,400 people in Nepal and Tibet and swept away more than a dozen hydropower plants. About 900 power station workers are among more than 5,300 people still missing.

India’s Ministry of Power reportedly said approval has been granted to export up to 654 megawatts, with the supply to be reviewed in December. “The approval will help Nepal meet its power requirements during this difficult period and further strengthen the close and longstanding energy cooperation between India and Nepal,” the ministry stated.

Hydropower, which supplies almost all of Nepal’s electricity, had become a fast-growing source of export revenue. Nepal had been selling surplus electricity during the rainy season, including over 600 megawatts to India and about 40 megawatts to Bangladesh, but those exports were halted after the floods ravaged Rasuwa and Nuwakot, the country’s major hydropower-producing region.

Officials said Nepal will now rely on imports from India to cover domestic shortages in the coming months. Last week, Nepali authorities announced plans to seek financial assistance from wealthier nations and global agencies, arguing that the $5 billion needed for initial rebuilding reflects the disproportionate impact of climate change on poorer countries.