Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project Resumes Partial Generation After Flood Damage

The Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, operated under Chilime Hydropower Company a subsidiary of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has restarted partial electricity generation in Rasuwa. The project had remained out of operation since Ashad 24, when a glacial lake outburst flood from Tibet’s Linde River caused extensive damage to its headworks.

Following emergency repairs and a temporary diversion of the river, one of the project’s three units has now been brought back into operation. The 111 MW project delivers 37 MW from each unit.

NEA officials informed that efforts are underway to restore the remaining two units within a month, while full reconstruction of the headworks is expected to be completed before the next monsoon season. They acknowledged the coordinated efforts of teams from NEA, Chilime, and Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company in restoring the project to operational status.

The flood had inflicted severe damage on the intake, gates, debris management systems, and several structures, with the headworks area buried under more than two meters of mud and large boulders scattered throughout the site. The tailrace was inundated, leaving the turbine floor submerged.