Urja Khabar
Kathmandu: The Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), together with its member hydropower companies, has extended financial assistance of Rs 130,000,001 to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund in support of the government’s ongoing efforts toward search and rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood.
The contribution was mobilized through an initiative led by the IPPAN, reflecting the private energy sector’s commitment to standing in solidarity with affected communities and supporting the government and related authorities during this difficult period.
The assistance was formally handed over on Tuesday, (September 1, 2026) at a special programme organized at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) in Singha Durbar. IPPAN President Mohan Kumar Dangi handed over the contribution to the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. Representatives of power developers and member companies of the IPPAN also participated in the programme and handed over their respective cheques and payment vouchers in support of the relief effort.
The Bhotekoshi flood has caused extensive damage to hydropower projects and critical energy infrastructure in the affected areas. According to the IPPAN, the structures of 12 hydropower projects--eight operational and four under construction--have been severely affected. Damage to transmission lines and substations has also resulted in approximately 431 MW of electricity generated by the projects disconnected from the transmission system.
The disaster has resulted in significant damage to hydropower infrastructure, transmission facilities, access roads, bridges, and other essential physical infrastructure, with losses estimated at billions of rupees. In several affected areas, damaged transportation and communication links have also made access to project sites difficult, limiting the ability to undertake comprehensive assessments of the extent of the damage.
The IPPAN expressed its profound concern and sympathy regarding the loss of skilled engineers, technical personnel, experts, specialists, and workers associated with hydropower and transmission projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot. The human impact of the disaster remains a matter of grave concern, alongside the extensive physical and economic losses.
Recognizing that infrastructure can, over time, be restored and rebuilt, while the loss of human life cannot be reversed, the IPPAN emphasized that the assistance initiative represents a commitment to humanitarian solidarity. This contribution has been made notwithstanding the substantial losses suffered by private-sector hydropower developers themselves, reflecting their continued commitment to supporting affected citizens and communities.
At its 206th Emergency Executive Committee Meeting held on August 27, the next day of the flood incidents, the IPPAN decided to extend financial assistance through the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund to support the rescue and relief of citizens affected by the Bhotekoshi disaster in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, and other affected districts. In accordance with this decision, IPPAN called upon its member hydropower companies to contribute to the humanitarian response.
Following the appeal, the IPPAN’s member companies contributed amounts ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 16.5 million, demonstrating a broad-based commitment from the private energy sector to support the national response to the disaster.
Speaking at the handover programme, IPPAN President Mohan Kumar Dangi stated that the decision to extend assistance was taken in the spirit of partnership and collective responsibility, even as hydropower projects in the private sector had themselves sustained significant losses.
“At a time when the nation is confronted with a crisis of this magnitude, it is the responsibility of the private sector to stand alongside the Government and contribute to the national response,” President Dangi said. “IPPAN and the private energy sector remain committed to extending all possible support, in coordination with the Government and relevant authorities, to address the humanitarian needs arising from this disaster.”
President Dangi further emphasized that the contribution should not be viewed solely as financial assistance, but as an expression of solidarity, compassion, and humanitarian responsibility toward affected citizens, project personnel, energy entrepreneurs, and families who have been impacted by the disaster.
Receiving the assistance, Energy Minister Shrestha acknowledged the contribution from the IPPAN and its member companies and stated that the Government is continuing its efforts toward search and rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction in coordination with relevant stakeholders, including the private sector.
Minister Shrestha appreciated the support extended by the IPPAN and its member companies, particularly in view of the substantial damage suffered by their own projects and infrastructure. He noted that such cooperation provides meaningful support and encouragement to the government’s ongoing humanitarian and recovery efforts.
Minister Shrestha also emphasized that the scale and complexity of the disaster require a coordinated and collective response, noting that the reconstruction and recovery of affected areas cannot be achieved through government efforts alone. He called for continued cooperation among the private sector, development partners, local communities, security and rescue agencies, and other concerned stakeholders.
Sarita Duwadi, secretary at the MoEWRI, also acknowledged the contribution, noting that the support received from the IPPAN would make a meaningful contribution to the government’s forthcoming rehabilitation and reconstruction initiatives in the affected areas.
Through this initiative, the IPPAN and its member companies reaffirm their commitment to working constructively with the government and other stakeholders in addressing the immediate humanitarian needs arising from the Bhotekoshi triggered disaster and contributing, within their capacity, to the longer-term recovery and reconstruction of affected communities and energy infrastructure.
