Key facts
- Deadly floods in Nepal have destroyed hydropower infrastructure, taking 700MW offline.
- Hundreds of workers are missing, with many feared trapped in power plant tunnels.
- Nepal has halted power exports and will import electricity from India.
- Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events in the Himalayas.
- Experts warn that hydropower plants built in vulnerable locations are susceptible to climate-driven disasters.
Deadly floods in Nepal have devastated hydropower infrastructure, leaving hundreds missing and 700MW offline, prompting questions about rebuilding and the risks of climate change in the Himalayas. Nepal, a power exporter, now imports electricity from India after floods destroyed 10% of its generation capacity.
Rescue crews are racing against time to find hundreds of missing workers feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels damaged by flooding that has killed more than 1,000 people across Nepal and China. At least 900 workers are missing from hydropower projects, with about 500 believed to be inside tunnels, according to officials and industry representatives.
Access to the tunnels has been hampered by flooding, debris, and damaged infrastructure, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach workers. Army footage showed rescuers entering dark, debris-filled tunnels, wading through mud and climbing over rocks. Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers Association of Nepal, said floods damaged at least 12 hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, with a combined capacity of 670 MW. Four were under construction, seven operational and one in testing phase.
Dangi described the Aug. 26 flooding as “something unimaginable,” despite hydropower projects undergoing risk assessments and other studies before construction. Many of Nepal’s hydropower projects are in remote, mountainous areas where steep terrain and narrow roads can make access difficult, and flooding has worsened these conditions. Rescuers are facing tunnels blocked or damaged by mud, rocks, and debris, with some sections collapsed. Filmmaker and drone pilot Manish Maharjan described some tunnels as “filled with mud like toothpaste in a tube.”
Anil Pokhrel, a disaster risk reduction expert, said the flooding exposed weaknesses in Nepal’s rescue capacity, noting that valuable time was lost locating tunnel entry points and that rescuers lacked heavy equipment and adequately trained personnel. He added that while Nepal has experience building tunnels, it is poorly prepared for complex tunnel rescues.