Kathmandu — The 9.9 MW Iwa Khola Hydropower Project, built on the Indrawati River flowing along the border of Taplejung and Panchthar districts, has suffered major damage due to floods and landslides. Power generation from the project has come to a complete halt following massive flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall on Friday night (May 22).
According to Bikash Gautam, Electrical Engineer at Ridhi Power Company Limited, the project — which has been generating electricity regularly since 2019 — is expected to take another one to 10 days to resume operation after being severely damaged by the disaster. He said the steep nature of the river has also affected other hydropower projects located within the same corridor.
Structural Damage, Repair Challenges
Floodwaters carrying logs, rocks, and debris have clogged all the project’s gates, while the desander basin (sand-settling pond) has also sustained significant damage. The flood additionally washed away access roads connected to the project. Gautam said some anchor blocks of the penstock pipe have also been damaged.
Repair and maintenance work has been difficult to begin immediately as water flow in the river remains high. With weather conditions still unfavorable, there is a risk that further rainfall could increase the river’s discharge and delay the project’s resumption even longer. Several areas also remain highly vulnerable to landslides.
Main Structures Safe, Damage Less Severe Than Two Years Ago
Technicians say the current damage is comparatively lower than previous incidents. Two years ago, severe floods and landslides had shut down power generation at the project for nearly a year, causing losses worth around Rs 760 million to the company. Compared to that incident, the present damage is considered significantly smaller.
According to Engineer Gautam, the flood does not appear to have caused major damage to the project’s main structures. “At the moment, it is not possible to operate the machines. The river flow is still very high, making immediate repairs difficult. However, we are carrying out a detailed inspection, and only after that will the actual condition become clear,” Gautam said.
He added that the project will only be brought back into operation after a full technical assessment and necessary repairs of all structures are completed.
Urjasanchar
