Massive floods caused by torrential rains on June 17 this year caused damages to two large hydropower projects at the Indrawati River and Kabeli River, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs. 2 billion.
According to the promoter companies, the floods have inflicted damages to dams of the projects, pipelines as well as transmission lines and powerhouses.
Three hydropower projects constructed at the Indrawati River and the Kabeli River flowing along the border of Taplejung and Panchthar districts have been damaged by the landslide.
The 9.9-megawatt Inwakhola Hydroelectricity Project at the Indrawati River has suffered a loss worth Rs. 750 million, according to the Executive Director of the project, Kubera Mani Nepal.
Nepal, who is also an executive member of the Independent Power Producers Association (IPPAN), said that the floods have damaged the dam of the Inwakhola Hydroelectricity Project. Similarly, he informed that about one kilometre of the pipeline was damaged by the landslide while the powerhouse and other structures were also damaged.
According to him, there is no condition to start the reconstruction work until the end of the rainy season.
Similarly, the floods caused huge damage to the 25-megawatt Kabeli ‘B-1’ Hydropower Project, promoted by Arun Kabeli Power Limited.
According to Dinesh Neupane, site in-charge of Kabeli ‘B-1’, the damage at various structures of the project is estimated worth around Rs. 500 million.
He said that the flood damaged the dam structure of the project the most. Likewise, about one hundred metres of pipelines is completely damaged and other structures including the pipes of the powerhouse were damaged by the landslide.
Similarly, it is estimated that the damage of 10-megawatt Kabeli ‘B-1’ cascade hydroelectric project due to the destruction of various structures by the landslides is worth about Rs. 600 million. According to Dilli Subedi, Public Relations Officer of the project, the floods have damaged about 500 metres of pipelines, powerhouses and transmission line poles.
