KATHMANDU: The devastating Bhotekoshi River flood has caused extensive damage to power infrastructure, prompting the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation to prioritise rescue, relief, coordination and restoration of electricity services in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
On the 11th day since the flood, the ministry said a Chinese national was safely rescued from the 216-MW Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project tunnel on Saturday.
The rescue was carried out by the Nepali Army and a South Korean disaster response team, according to the ministry. Available resources, equipment and personnel have been mobilised under the ministry’s coordination to search for and rescue those still unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are continuing in hydropower project tunnels and other debris sites with the assistance of technical experts.
Despite adverse weather, difficult terrain and completely disrupted road networks, 21 rescue personnel from the Nepali Army and Indian Army are working inside the Chilime Hydropower Project tunnel to manually remove debris.
According to the ministry, around 100 metres of the 250-metre-long tunnel has been cleared so far. Equipment is being mobilised to accelerate the rescue operation. Construction of an access road to the Syafru powerhouse portal has begun to transport a large excavator to the site.
Preparations are also underway to take an excavator into the tunnel, including continued removal of soil. Small helicopters are being used to transport necessary supplies and equipment to the site.
The ministry also said Switzerland provided Nepal with an advanced drone on Saturday for search and rescue operations inside tunnels.
The drone is expected to help with risk assessment, search and rescue operations, making the efforts safer, faster and more effective.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Electricity Authority has been working around the clock, including on public holidays, to restore electricity services disrupted by the floods.
The ministry said around 78 percent of Rasuwa and 96 percent of Nuwakot have been electrified. Electricity services have also been restored across almost all areas of Dhading.
In areas where electricity has yet to be restored, the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre is working to provide solar lamps and other immediately available alternative energy solutions.
The ministry said a joint team comprising personnel from the Nepali Army, Indian Army, Korean experts and hydropower project engineers has been carrying out reconnaissance, blasting, drilling and sludge removal at various locations inside the tunnels.
Additional equipment, including excavators, backhoe loaders, Bobcats and drones, has also been mobilised to clear damaged and blocked tunnels and intensify the rescue operation.
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