Kathmandu. Nepal’s Home Ministry has said in a statement that about 170 people have died due to floods and landslides in Nepal. According to The Himalayan Times, Home Ministry spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari shared information about the devastation caused by floods and landslides in various districts. The ministry confirmed on Sunday that 111 people had been injured in the disasters, while nearly 4,000 people had been rescued. The Himalayan Times reported that search operations, including rescue and relief operations, have been intensified with the deployment of security agencies. Nepali Army helicopters have airlifted 162 people who were injured or stranded in parts of Kavre, Sindhuli and Lalitpur districts. Relief materials including food supplies are being delivered to the survivors of the disaster. Also, the injured are being treated in government health centres. Tiwari said that there is complete coordination between all the concerned agencies of the government. Rescue and relief efforts are being given priority. Along with clearing the blocked roads, reconstruction work is also going on. The ministry said provincial governments, district disaster management committees, and local disaster management units are also working together. Nepal’s hydropower plants and irrigation facilities have been badly damaged in floods and landslides caused by incessant rains, causing an estimated loss of 4.35 billion Nepalese rupees ($32.6 million).
At a press meeting on Sunday, officials of Nepal’s Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said that the disaster caused by incessant rains on Friday (September 27) and Saturday (September 28) has affected hydropower and transmission projects by about 3 percent. ₹ billion ($22.5 million) were damaged, while river control and irrigation projects suffered losses worth about ₹ 1.35 billion ($10.1 million). According to officials, 11 operational hydropower plants with a combined generation capacity of 625.96 MW have been damaged and other operational plants had to be closed due to the floods. It is being told that due to this, production capacity of 1,100 MW has been stopped, which is about one third of the total capacity of the country’s operating power plants. Fifteen hydropower plants under construction were also damaged. Due to damage to hydropower and transmission lines, power supply has come to a complete halt in various parts of the country. Kul Man Ghisingh, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority, said it could be challenging to arrange adequate power for the country in the coming winter, as maintenance and repair of damaged power plants takes time.