Kathmandu: Fifteen days after a devastating flood swept into the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa from the Tibet side, 917 people working at flood-affected hydropower projects remain unaccounted for. Although search and rescue operations are continuing after the flood damaged residential facilities, offices, access roads, tunnels and other structures in the project areas, the whereabouts of a large number of missing people have yet to be determined.
According to data prepared by the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN) as of September 9, 12 hydropower projects have been affected by the flood. Of these, eight are operational and four are under construction. The total installed capacity of the affected projects stands at 669 MW.
The flood has not only halted electricity generation and construction activities at the affected projects but has also impacted a large number of workers. According to IPPAN’s data, 917 people remain unaccounted for at just 11 of the affected projects.
546 People Missing at Upper Trishuli-1
The most serious humanitarian crisis caused by the Bhotekoshi flood has been reported at the 216 MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, where 546 people remain unaccounted for.
Before the flood, 1,433 people were working at the project site. So far, 878 people have been rescued. According to IPPAN, one body was recovered on Tuesday while searching the upper section from Audit-3, while a team of trained search dogs found another body in the area between Salletar and Bhage Waterfall.
Among those still unaccounted for are nine South Korean, 34 Chinese and 50 Indian nationals.
Search operations are continuing in the tunnels, headworks and audit areas of Upper Trishuli-1. The Nepal Army, Nepal Drone Association, Korean and Sherpa teams, and trained search dogs have been mobilized. Preparations are also underway to use GoPro and drone cameras to search inside the tunnels.
However, transporting the equipment needed for the search to the project site itself has become a major challenge. Attempts to transport mini excavators and other equipment by helicopter to Audit-1, Audit-3 and the headworks areas have been unsuccessful because of limited landing areas and difficult geological conditions.
This highlights a serious aspect of the rescue operation following the Bhotekoshi flood—the flood has destroyed not only the routes needed to reach people who need to be rescued but also the access required to bring in rescue equipment.
93 Missing at Rasuwa Gadhi
At the 111 MW Rasuwa Gadhi Hydropower Project, 93 people remain unaccounted for. Although rescue teams have been conducting continuous searches, their whereabouts have yet to be established.
Similarly, three people at the 120 MW Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project and seven people at the 5 MW Mailung Khola Hydropower Project remain unaccounted for, according to IPPAN. The body of a driver working at the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi project was recovered a few days ago.
Rescue Team Still Unable to Reach Chilime Powerhouse
Rescue efforts at the 22 MW Chilime Hydropower Station have also become extremely difficult. It is estimated that as many as six people may be trapped inside the powerhouse.
Even by the 13th day after the flood, rescue teams had been unable to enter the powerhouse. The access tunnel leading to the powerhouse is filled with mud and debris, while the access road used to transport machinery has also been damaged by the flood.
As a result, tunnel-clearing work is currently being carried out manually. A rescue team involving the Nepal Army and Indian Army personnel has been deployed for the search.
According to Chilime Hydropower Company Executive Director Baburaja Maharjan, further progress has been made in constructing the access road from Syafrubesi to the powerhouse. Once the road reaches the access tunnel to the powerhouse, preparations are underway to transport machinery and accelerate tunnel-clearing and rescue operations. Work is also underway in parallel to open a pedestrian route.
39 People Missing at Langtang Khola
At the 20 MW Langtang Khola Hydropower Project, 39 people remain unaccounted for. The Nepal Army continues to conduct search operations.
Two bodies have been recovered from the project’s tunnel, while 19 people have already been rescued. The whereabouts of the remaining people remain unknown.
Flood Impact on 669 MW of Hydropower Projects
The 12 projects affected by the Bhotekoshi flood have a combined capacity of 669 MW. Of these, eight projects with a total capacity of 281 MW were operational, while four projects with a combined capacity of 388 MW were under construction.
Thus, the flood has not only affected immediate electricity generation but has also created the possibility of delays in the construction, increased costs and postponed commissioning schedules of projects under construction.
However, the immediate priority is now humanitarian rescue rather than electricity generation. Search operations have not progressed as expected because damaged roads and tunnels, as well as mud and debris accumulated at project sites, have yet to be cleared.
Flood-Damaged Infrastructure Delaying Rescue
The situation 15 days after the Bhotekoshi flood has exposed a serious weakness in disaster management at hydropower projects. When the flood struck, it destroyed not only routes used to move people to safety but also the routes needed for rescue teams to reach the affected areas afterward.
The inability to transport heavy equipment by helicopter to Upper Trishuli-1 and the difficulty of removing the mud accumulated inside Chilime’s access tunnel using machinery are direct examples.
Therefore, the next phase of the rescue strategy should not be limited to deploying additional personnel. It should focus on immediately reopening damaged access roads, clearing tunnels, transporting heavy equipment to project sites and making maximum use of technologies such as drones, cameras and trained search dogs.
Even 15 days after the flood, 917 people remain unaccounted for. This represents a more serious humanitarian crisis than the damage inflicted on energy infrastructure itself. IPPAN’s data therefore indicates that before discussions begin on rebuilding damaged hydropower projects, the first priority must be to determine the whereabouts of missing people and rescue anyone who may still be alive.
Jalasarokar
