The Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, developed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower—a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority—has partially resumed operations. The project had been shut down for months after severe flooding caused extensive damage to its structures.
On Asar 24, an outburst flood triggered by a glacial lake explosion in Tibet’s Leindey stream struck the project site, heavily damaging the dam and the headworks. After repairs, water has been temporarily diverted to the powerhouse, allowing one of the plant’s three units to restart from Saturday. The project has an installed capacity of 111 megawatts, and each unit produces 37 megawatts.
Reconstruction Progress and Winter Demand Management
According to Nepal Electricity Authority Executive Director Manoj Silwal, the remaining two units are expected to resume operations within a month. He said reconstruction work in the headworks area is ongoing, with all remaining repairs targeted for completion before the next monsoon season.
Silwal praised the efforts of teams from the Authority, Chilime, and Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company, noting that their work made it possible to restore damaged structures and resume partial power generation. “With the project back in production, it will be slightly easier to manage electricity demand during the winter season,” he added.
Extent of Damage, Rescue Operations, and Future Output
The flood had swept away debris-control equipment, including machinery designed to block logs, vegetation, and other materials, as well as gates and additional components. More than two meters of mud had accumulated inside the headworks control buildings, accompanied by large boulders.
Structures directing water toward the intake tunnel were destroyed, and the tailrace—used to discharge water back into the river after power generation—had become submerged, flooding the turbine chamber.
During the incident, 22 staff members working at the project were rescued by Nepal Army helicopters from the headworks and residential areas. The employees’ housing complex had been completely washed away. The flood also damaged multiple sections of the main road connecting Syafrubesi to the project site, causing significant blockages due to landslides.
The hydropower project first began commercial electricity generation on Poush 16, 2081. Production came to a halt after the Asar floods caused widespread destruction. Once fully operational again, the project is expected to produce 613.875 million units of electricity annually. According to project estimates, electricity sales will generate approximately NPR 3.25 billion in yearly revenue.
