India to supply Nepal 654 MW electricity daily:Enough for 28 lakh homes; Nepal’s power generation hit by floods

India has approved the supply of 654 MW of electricity to Nepal. The Indian Ministry of Power has approved electricity exports for 18 hours daily, from midnight to 6 pm, until December 31, 2026. A continuous supply of this much electricity could meet the annual electricity needs of around 28 lakh households. Nepal’s hydropower infrastructure was severely damaged by recent floods. This has reduced its power generation capacity and created a need for additional electricity. Nepal sold more electricity to India in 2023-24 India has supplied electricity to Nepal in the past as well. According to government data, India supplied around 180 million units of electricity to Nepal in 2023-24. This is equivalent to an average continuous supply of around 206 MW. Nepal imports electricity from India during the winter, but also sells large amounts of electricity to India during the monsoon months. In 2023-24, Nepal sold electricity to India worth more than the value of electricity it purchased from India. However, due to the floods on August 26, Nepal is generating less electricity, increasing its dependence on India. Power sector suffers $997 million loss Floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River caused around $997 million in losses to the energy sector. The disaster is estimated to have affected around 2,520 GWh of annual power generation. According to a report by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the total damage caused by the floods was around $2.7 billion. Infrastructure suffered the most damage, accounting for around 65% of the total losses. Around 69 km of roads were damaged, and repairing them is estimated to cost around $364.28 million.