India to supply 654MW of electricity for 18 hours daily to Nepal after deadly floods cripple power sector | India News
India has approved the export of up to 654 MW of electricity to Nepal for 18 hours a day until December 31, following devastating floods that damaged hydropower infrastructure and sharply reduced the Himalayan nation’s domestic generation capacity, the Ministry of Power said on Monday.The approval, effective from September 13, allows electricity exports to the Nepal Electricity Authority between midnight and 6 pm, according to the ministry.Up to 600 MW will be supplied through the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar 400 kV double-circuit line, while another 54 MW can be transmitted through the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar 132 kV single-circuit line, the ministry said.“The recent floods in Nepal have caused significant damage to hydropower infrastructure, reducing the country’s domestic power generation capacity and creating an additional requirement for electricity,” the Ministry of Power said in a release.“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,” it added.The ministry said the quantum of electricity to be exported from January 2027 would be reviewed in December 2026. “The quantum of power to be exported from January 2027 will be reviewed in December 2026,” it said.The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated parts of northern and central Nepal. According to Nepal’s national disaster risk rreduction and management authority, the death toll had reached 1,385, while 5,130 people remained missing as of September 11. More than 12 hydropower plants were reportedly swept away or damaged.About 900 power station workers are among those reported missing, further affecting the country’s electricity generation capacity. Nepal, where hydropower supplies almost all electricity, had also halted power exports and said it would buy electricity from India to meet domestic requirements.India has separately continued its relief and rescue support. The ministry of external affairs said eight special flights since August 26 had delivered more than 130 tonnes of relief material, while 54 expert personnel had been deployed for rescue, relief and forensic operations.
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“The assistance includes standard relief supplies such as temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps and medicines,” the MEA said, besides specialised equipment for tunnel and mud rescue operations and DNA profiling.The United States has also approved $1 million to strengthen Nepal Police’s DNA and forensic identification capacity. The US State Department said the latest assistance takes Washington’s humanitarian, health and forensic support following the floods to more than $5 million.Nepal has meanwhile sought China’s assistance to rebuild the Syaphrubesi-Rasuwagadhi road, a key trade route that was severely damaged. Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal told The Kathmandu Post that “China has given us a verbal commitment to provide assistance, although a written agreement has not yet been signed.”
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