Dbarta24 Desk – Electricity supply from Nepal to Bangladesh via the Indian transmission grid has hit a complete standstill following severe flooding that knocked key hydroelectric plants offline.
Severe flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the Bhote Koshi river basin on August 26 damaged key infrastructure, disrupting generation and forcing Nepal to significantly slash its regional energy exports.
The disruption severely impacts the direct supply route established to deliver clean hydropower to Bangladesh.
Power targeted for Bangladesh was primarily sourced from the 22.1 MW Chilime Hydropower Plant and the 24 MW Trishuli Hydropower Station. Both facilities suffered operational shutdowns last week due to flood damage, leaving active exports to Dhaka effectively at zero.
“Both projects designated for supplying power to Bangladesh have been affected,” confirmed Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, Acting Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). “We have requested Indian authorities to grant approval to substitute electricity from alternative power projects to resume flow, but currently, exports to Bangladesh are practically zero.”
Beyond the initial two facilities, the disaster has disrupted at least 12 hydroelectric projects across Nepal. Key stations including Sanjen, Upper Sanjen, and Salasungi were forced into isolated operational modes to service local micro-grids due to damaged transmission lines. Overall seasonal power exports dropped sharply from an average of 1,000 MW down to roughly 650 MW.
The disaster underlines broader regional complexities within South Asian energy trading networks. Beyond natural disruptions, bureaucratic delays have compounding effects; Nepal remains unable to export 73.75 MW of electricity from three separate facilities due to pending annual renewal approvals from India’s Central Electricity Authority.
Furthermore, efforts between Dhaka and Kathmandu to expand bilateral supply by an additional 20 MW remain constrained by Indian cross-border grid capacities and regulatory approvals tied to power plant equipment origination.
As Nepal works to restore damaged turbine infrastructure and repair transmission networks along the Bhote Koshi corridor, officials are pushing for swift regulatory approvals from Indian authorities to reroute power and honor cross-border agreements.