The Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project (RHP) in Rasuwa, which was severely damaged by the July 2025 flood in the Bhotekoshi River, has resumed electricity generation at 61 percent of its installed capacity.
With partial restoration, the project has reconnected 68 MW of electricity to the national grid, including an additional 31 MW generated recently. This development has eased pressure on the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in managing power supply during the winter season.
The 111 MW project had remained completely shut for five months following the disaster. Last month, it restarted generation at 37 MW. “Out of the total 111 MW capacity, we aim to generate the remaining 43 MW by June 2026,” said Satya Ram Jyakhwa, Executive Director of Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company.
The project, developed under the leadership of Chilime Hydropower Company—a subsidiary of the NEA—entered commercial operation on December 31, 2024. However, just six months later, on July 8, 2025, a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) from the Lhende River in Tibet caused extensive damage to the project’s dam and headworks.
The flood swept away critical equipment, including debris-blocking systems, gates and machinery. More than two meters of sludge buried buildings in the headworks area, large boulders were deposited, and water-diversion structures were damaged. The tailrace tunnel was filled with debris, submerging the turbine floor entirely.
On the day of the disaster, 22 workers were rescued by an army helicopter from the headworks and residential areas, while staff housing was completely washed away. Landslides triggered by the flood also blocked several sections of the main road linking Syafrubesi to the project site.
According to the company, two of the project’s three damaged turbines have now been repaired. Maintenance works on the canal and the main dam have also been completed.
Once fully operational, the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project is expected to generate around 613.87 million units of electricity annually, earning an estimated Rs 3.25 billion in revenue each year, according to the NEA.
