India has approved the export of up to 654 megawatts of electricity to Nepal after devastating floods severely damaged the country’s hydropower infrastructure and reduced domestic generation capacity.
According to India’s Ministry of Power, electricity will be supplied for 18 hours a day until December 31, 2026. The arrangement took effect on September 13, with supplies available from midnight to 6 p.m. daily.
Of the approved capacity, up to 600 MW will be transmitted through the Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line, while an additional 54 MW will be supplied through the Tanakpur-Mahendranagar line.
The decision follows catastrophic floods on August 26, reportedly triggered by the collapse of a Himalayan glacier. More than a dozen hydropower plants were destroyed, reducing Nepal’s electricity generation capacity by approximately 10 percent.
Hydropower accounts for almost all of Nepal’s electricity production and has become an important source of export revenue. Following the disaster, Nepal suspended electricity exports and sought assistance from India to meet its domestic power requirements.
The floods reportedly killed nearly 1,400 people across Nepal and Tibet, while more than 5,300 people remain missing, including hundreds of hydropower workers.
India said the emergency arrangement would help Nepal meet its electricity needs while efforts continue to restore damaged generation infrastructure.
The electricity supply arrangement for January 2027 onward will be reviewed in December.
