The recent flash flood in Bhotekoshi River, triggered by heavy water flow from Tibet, has severely damaged the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, with only its tunnel system (penstock) remaining safe, officials confirmed.
According to Santosh Adhikari, Chief of Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Center, floodwaters unexpectedly brought down a massive surge that destroyed external structures, including the pump house, motor house, and gate systems.
A vehicle was swept into the intake
In a shocking revelation, Adhikari said that flood debris even included a small vehicle, which was found inside the intake structure. “This was an unprecedented event—completely beyond our design expectations,” he added.
No warning, no rainfall—but water came crashing down
Adhikari explained that the flood hit around 3:00 AM without any prior warning. “There was no rain in the area, yet water surged from upstream, breaking the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge and striking our headworks just 300 meters downstream,” he said.
The Kerung and Lende rivers, which originate in Tibet, merged into the Bhotekoshi River and unleashed the sudden flood on Ashar 24 (July 8).
9 confirmed dead, 20 still missing
According to Rasuwa District Administration Office, the disaster claimed 9 lives, and at least 20 people remain missing. Several vehicles parked at the Timure customs yard were swept away along with the bridge.
Tunnel safe, external structures damaged
While the tunnel itself remains largely unaffected—except for minor silt and stone deposits in the desander—the outer infrastructure has been completely damaged. All gates and control systems have been declared inoperative.
“There’s no damage inside the tunnel, but we’ve lost essential outer components needed for operation,” said Adhikari.
Staff escaped through jungle, later rescued
Adhikari and a team of staff members managed to escape through the jungle when the flood struck. They were later rescued by security forces.
The Rasuwagadhi project, a run-of-the-river hydropower plant near the Nepal-China border, now faces major recovery and repair challenges in the wake of this disaster.
