Electricity resumes in some areas of Budhigandaki corridor

Electricity service disrupted by the Budhigandaki flood has resumed in some areas of Gorkha and Dhading.

Power supply has resumed in wards 2, 3 and 4 of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality in Gorkha. Service has also resumed in Aarughat Bazaar, as well as in the Dandagaun and Aarupokhari branches of Aarughat Rural Municipality.

However, since the access road to affected settlements in Dharche Rural Municipality has been damaged, repair work there has been difficult. Repair and restoration work is expected to proceed as soon as the road reopens.

The flood has damaged more than 70 high-voltage poles in various parts of Dharche. Distribution-line poles at Soti, Arkhet and Aarughat Bazaar, as well as about 6 low-voltage poles at Syauli Bazaar in Tripurasundari-2, Dhading, have also been damaged.

The flood has damaged four hydropower projects. The main camp area and some construction equipment of the roughly 341-megawatt Budhigandaki project, being developed by Times Energy, were swept away. Some houses and a Bailey bridge at the camp of the roughly 24.5-megawatt Dobhan Khola project were also swept away. The Bailey bridge of the roughly 30.59-megawatt Yaru Khola project, and the access road and bridge of the roughly 16-megawatt Machha Khola project, have been damaged. The full extent of damage to these projects has yet to be determined.