KATHMANDU, June 20: The landslides and floods in the past few days have caused damages worth an estimated Rs 10 billion to a number of private hydropower projects, said hydropower producers.

According to the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), the natural hazards have affected mainly the projects under construction and the transmission lines. The aforementioned financial loss was due to the submerging of the power houses, damage to the dams, fall of the poles erected for the transmission lines, damage to the connecting roads and sweeping away of the construction materials.

IPPAN President Krishna Prasad Acharya said the financial loss to the Super Madi Hydropower Project is probably the largest one.

IPPAN has demanded the government form a high-level mechanism including representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, among others, to find out the actual damages to the hydropower projects. The umbrella organization of independent power producers has also sought immediate action by Nepal Electricity Authority to safeguard its substations to prevent the possible disruption in electricity supply.   

 
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