India Pledges Emergency Power to Nepal After Flash Floods

The Government of Nepal requested that India accelerate approvals for electricity imports starting in September 2026 to address power deficits caused by devastating flash floods. The disaster, which struck the Nepal-Tibet border regions and the Trishuli and Lhende Khola river basins on August 26, killed approximately 675 people and damaged critical hydropower infrastructure.

These floods reduced Nepal's power generation capacity by 550 megawatts and lowered cross-border power flows to India by roughly 400 megawatts, dropping from previous peaks of 950 to 1,000 megawatts. While Nepal typically begins importing power from India in October, the scale of the damage necessitated an earlier timeline to maintain stability.

The Ministry of Power of India pledged to provide the necessary electricity, stating that India's national grid capacity and generation reserve margins are sufficient to absorb the shortfall without disrupting domestic retail supply or requiring emergency procurement. Officials confirmed that key infrastructure, including the 400 kilovolt Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission link and the Arun-3 and Lower Arun Hydro Electric Projects, remains operational and unaffected by the floods.