India approves electricity supplies to support Nepal after flood damage
Where it stands
Nepal’s floods have damaged hydropower infrastructure, cutting the electricity available from its own plants. While those facilities are restored, India has approved supplies of up to 654 megawatts for 18 hours a day. The permission covers 13 September to 31 December 2026 through two existing cross-border transmission links. By using these connections, Nepal can draw on another electricity system while repairing its own. India’s Power Ministry announced the arrangement on 14 September. The larger allowance, up to 600 megawatts, uses the Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar connection; another 54 megawatts can use the Tanakpur–Mahendranagar link. Together, these supplies can help meet the generation gap created by the flood damage. Their benefit still depends on electricity being delivered and reaching users through functioning local networks. The authorised ceiling therefore should not be mistaken for a record of actual daily deliveries or completed repairs. Supplies from January 2027 will be reviewed in December, allowing the requirement to be reassessed as restoration proceeds. This electricity arrangement supports one part of Nepal’s wider recovery, alongside the work of restoring roads, bridges, homes and livelihoods.
Background
Hydropower plants use moving water to turn turbines connected to electricity generators. They need more than a flowing river: water must reach the equipment safely, and transmission lines must carry the electricity away. A flood can damage these connected parts, leaving a country with less usable power even when water is abundant. Nepal’s recent floods damaged hydropower infrastructure and reduced domestic generation, according to India’s Power Ministry. The loss of electricity adds another problem to disaster recovery. Homes and businesses still need power while damaged facilities undergo inspection and repair. Existing links with a neighbouring electricity grid offer another way to obtain supplies during that work. India’s approval allows Nepal Electricity Authority, the country’s public electricity utility, to receive power through two such links. Using existing connections avoids waiting for a new power plant or cross-border line before additional electricity can be made available. The permission specifies both the maximum power and the daily supply period because those describe different parts of the arrangement. Megawatts measure the rate at which electricity is supplied; the hours show how long supply is authorised each day. Actual electricity delivered over time depends on both. A transmission link also has to connect to functioning local infrastructure for that electricity to reach users. Imports can therefore support recovery without, by themselves, completing the repair of Nepal’s damaged energy system. Restoring dependable services remains a larger task than replacing a single broken structure.
How it developed
-
26 August 2026, morningHow it started
A glacier collapse sends a flash flood down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli
On the morning of 26 August 2026, a flash flood came down the Bhote Koshi into Rasuwa district. The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 5.2 seismic event at 8.37 am. The survey said the signal came from a glacier collapse and debris flow, not an earthquake. The flood hit Timure, Syabrubesi and the Rasuwagadhi border crossing first. The Gyirong border port on the Tibet side was also hit. The flood then moved down the Trishuli to the Narayani. The 42-km road from Betrawati to the border was destroyed. On 27 August 2026, police listed 826 missing, including 133 Indian pilgrims. India's Central Water Commission warned the surge could reach the Gandak in India.
-
26 to 27 August 2026Consequence
Bihar opens all 36 gates of the Gandak barrage. UP districts on alert.
On 26 August 2026, Bihar opened all 36 gates of the Gandak barrage at Valmikinagar. Discharge peaked at 1.50 lakh cusecs at 11 pm. Discharge fell the next morning. Six districts along the Gandak were put on alert. More than 5,000 people were moved from low-lying areas. Uttar Pradesh put Maharajganj and Kushinagar on high alert.
-
26 to 29 August 2026Official response
India flies relief, tunnel rescue and forensic teams. Nepal takes expert help only.
The Indian Air Force flew three relief sorties between 26 and 28 August 2026, about 57.5 tonnes in all. The third aircraft carried an Army tunnel rescue recce team and a medical team. On 29 August 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs said 108 Indians had been rescued in Nepal. More than 275 Indian nationals and 128 persons of Indian origin remained missing. India offered NDRF teams and Bailey bridges to Nepal. On 28 August 2026, Nepal's foreign minister said Nepal needed help in technical areas, not in search and rescue.
-
30 August 2026Consequence
Nepal loses power capacity. Nepal seeks advance power imports from India.
The Nepal Electricity Authority reported damage to 14 hydropower projects with about 748 MW of capacity. Nine of the projects were operating plants with 354 MW. On 30 August 2026, Indian power ministry officials said Nepal had sought advance import approvals from September 2026. Officials said India would supply power when Nepal asked. Power flow from Nepal to India fell by about 400 MW from the earlier peak. Bloomberg reported on 2 September 2026 that the disaster wiped out about 10 per cent of Nepal's hydropower capacity.
-
31 August 2026New fact
Toll passes 900. UN calls it Nepal's deadliest disaster since 2015.
On 31 August 2026, Nepal's disaster authority put the death toll at 903 with 4,247 people missing. The authority said 10,451 people had been rescued, including 252 foreign nationals. Nepal declared a flood emergency in 15 municipalities. Nepali, Indian and Chinese teams worked together at hydropower tunnels. The United Nations said the flood was Nepal's deadliest disaster since the April 2015 earthquake. Chinese authorities reported at least 16 dead and 546 missing on the Tibet side.
-
1 to 2 September 2026New fact
Toll reaches 1,127. Marsyangdi crosses the danger mark. Fifth Indian aircraft leaves.
Nepal Police put the death toll at 1,127 on 2 September 2026. Nine of the bodies were recovered in India. Late on 1 September 2026, the Marsyangdi river in Lamjung crossed the danger mark. India's fifth relief aircraft left on 2 September 2026 with an 11-member rescue team and 5.5 tonnes of medicines. The Ministry of External Affairs said 163 Indians had been rescued in Nepal. Nepal's embassy in India asked donors on 1 September 2026 to use UPI International for the relief fund.
-
2 September 2026, nightOfficial response
Nepal seeks climate compensation from India, China and the United States
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal spoke to Kantipur TV in an interview broadcast this week. Khanal said China, the United States and India have made 'extremely large' contributions to climate change. Khanal said smaller nations are 'enduring the price of it'. Khanal said Nepal will raise the matter on international platforms as a question of justice. Nepal has sought urgent relief from the UN Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. Nepali officials wrote to the fund that waiting for its board meeting in December would be too late. The demand comes before COP31 in Antalya in November 2026. Bloomberg reported the interview on 2 September 2026.
-
3 September 2026, morningNew fact
Toll reaches 1,252 on the ninth day. Police estimate 4,875 missing.
Nepal Police put the death toll at 1,252 on 3 September 2026, the ninth day of rescue work. Police data listed 355 bodies in Chitwan, 218 in Nawalparasi East and 208 in Nawalparasi West. Eighteen of the Nawalparasi West bodies were recovered in India and handed over to Nepal. Nuwakot had 177 bodies, Rasuwa 127, Gorkha 69, Dhading 60 and Tanahun 38. Police estimated the missing at 4,875. Nepal's disaster authority counted 4,216 people unaccounted for at noon. Only 95 bodies had been identified and handed to families. The flood came from an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on 26 August 2026.
-
4 September 2026, 14:00 Nepal timeCorrection
Official update raises the toll and corrects the rescued workers' condition
Nepal's 14:00 update on 4 September recorded 1,287 recovered bodies. The government listed 5,083 people as missing. Authorities had rescued 13,093 people. Two workers were rescued alive from the Trishuli 3A tunnel. An earlier Blitz update said both workers were stable. The official update did not state their condition. AP reported one worker was critical, citing Nepal's prime minister's office. The rescue fact remains confirmed.
-
4 September 2026, afternoonNew fact
Toll reaches 1,295. Two more Indian relief flights land in Kathmandu.
PTI reported on 4 September 2026 that Nepal's flood death toll rose to 1,295. Nepal Police had recovered 1,293 bodies from eight districts. Two injured flood victims died in Kathmandu hospitals on 4 September 2026. India's sixth and seventh relief flights landed in Kathmandu on the night of 3 September 2026. The two C-130J aircraft carried 21.5 tonnes of supplies, including forensic kits and medical supplies. Nepal's Science and Technology Minister Mahabir Pun received the consignment.
-
5 September 2026, 5 am Nepal timeNew fact
Toll reaches 1,344. Police list 4,898 missing. Health ministry plans vaccinations.
Nepal Police counted 1,344 recovered bodies, including 501 partial remains, as of 5 am on 5 September 2026. Police listed 4,898 people as missing, including 618 foreign nationals. On 4 September 2026 the Kathmandu Post reported contaminated drinking water in Bidur, Nuwakot. Five of 15 samples tested by Bidur Municipality contained the bacterium E. coli. The Ministry of Health and Food Safety plans cholera vaccination for about 100,000 people. The ministry said the drive will start only if a major diarrhoea outbreak occurs. The Department of Health Services will give measles-rubella vaccine to about 75,000 children under 15.
-
5 September 2026, afternoon Nepal timeNew fact
Two people found alive on the eleventh day after the Nepal flood
Rescuers found two people alive on 5 September 2026, the eleventh day of the search. The Nepali Army said a Chinese worker was found about 225 metres inside an Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel. The army and a South Korean team freed the man at about 1:20 pm. In Betrawati, Nuwakot, rescuers freed Chandika Shrestha, 64, from her buried house. A nine-member army team and Nepal Police dug through the rubble. Both survivors had been trapped since 26 August 2026.
-
5 September 2026Official response
Government panel gets six weeks to assess the flood damage
Nepal's government formed a committee for a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the Kathmandu Post reported on 5 September 2026. Gunakhar Bhatta, vice-chair of the National Planning Commission, leads the committee. The committee has six weeks to report. A rapid assessment put loss and damage at about 400 billion Nepali rupees. Bhatta said the final figure could differ by 20 to 30 per cent. The assessment counted 13 damaged hydropower projects totalling 783 MW.
-
4 September 2026Official response
UN and partners launch a $49.6 million flash appeal for Nepal
The United Nations and humanitarian partners launched a flash appeal on 4 September 2026. The appeal seeks $49.6 million for 84,270 people in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority leads the four-month plan. UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia said families had 'lost everything'. UN News said the flood had killed more than 1,250 people. About 22,000 children lacked safe water, UN News reported.
-
7 September 2026; latest authority figuresNew fact
Nepal’s disaster authority reports 1,355 bodies recovered and 4,996 missing
Nepal’s disaster authority reported 1,355 recovered bodies and 4,996 missing people on 7 September 2026. The missing list included 589 foreign nationals. Radio Nepal reported 13,396 people rescued, citing the same authority. The broadcaster also reported 3,533 people in 39 temporary holding centres. Missing people are not confirmed deaths. These figures update the assessment; they do not establish how many deaths occurred on 7 September itself.
-
8 September 2026, 14:00 Nepal timeNew fact
Nepal reports 1,357 recovered bodies as bridge-restoration work continues
Nepal’s foreign ministry issued an update at 14:00 Nepal time on 8 September 2026. The ministry reported 1,357 recovered bodies and 13,583 rescued people. Around 5,300 people remained missing. The figures can change as searches and identification continue. The army and engineers were building a temporary Tadi River bridge to restore the Galchhi–Trishuli Road. The bridge was work in progress, not a confirmed reopening. The ministry said the number missing inside tunnels remained unverified.
-
9 September 2026, 2 pm Nepal time: situation updateNew fact
Search continues as temporary bridge construction advances
At 2 pm Nepal time on 9 September 2026, the foreign ministry reported 1,367 recovered bodies and 13,646 people rescued. Around 5,100 people remained missing; that is not an additional death count. Damaged roads and bridges still complicate access to affected communities. At Devighat, 15 sections of the temporary Acrow bridge had been installed, with four remaining. Completing the crossing would help restore road connectivity. Tunnel searches continued, and the ministry said the number missing inside tunnels remained unverified.
-
10 September 2026: temporary bridge openedConsequence
Devighat’s temporary crossing opens while other clearance work continues
The temporary bridge across the Tadi River at Devighat was completed and opened to the public by 10 September 2026. Nepal’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the opening on the Galchhi–Trishuli road. The bridge had still been under construction in the previous official update. Restoring this crossing improves access at a damaged point, but clearance work continued at other blocked locations. Opening one bridge does not establish that every road to the border is usable. Search operations also continued, with the number missing inside the collapsed tunnel still being verified.
-
11 September 2026: disaster-authority figuresNew fact
The reported toll rises as rescue and identification continue
Nepal’s disaster authority reported 1,385 deaths and 5,130 missing people on 11 September 2026, according to PTI. The reported rescue total reached 13,676. These are cumulative figures for the disaster, not that day’s additional deaths and rescues. The missing-person count remains separate from confirmed deaths, because searches and verification are continuing. Restored access at Devighat is therefore a recovery milestone within an emergency that has not ended.
-
11 September 2026: official recovery assessment updateNew fact
The rapid assessment separates damage from the cost of recovery
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said the rapid assessment put reconstruction needs at about $4.78 billion. Of this, around $57.67 million concerns short-term recovery over the next six months, while about $4.71 billion concerns longer-term reconstruction. These rounded components need not add exactly to the rounded total. Physical damage measures affected assets, such as a broken bridge. Economic losses include disruption after the flood, such as electricity a damaged plant cannot generate. Recovery needs cover work to restore services and reduce future risks. Nepal is also undertaking a fuller Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, so these initial estimates can change.
-
13 September 2026: electricity permission startsOfficial response
Two existing electricity links can help cover the generation gap
India’s Power Ministry has approved electricity exports to Nepal Electricity Authority from 13 September to 31 December 2026. Supply is authorised for 18 hours daily, from midnight to 6 pm. Up to 600 megawatts can pass through the Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar line, with another 54 megawatts through Tanakpur–Mahendranagar. Together, these allowances provide a ceiling of 654 megawatts. The ministry links the additional requirement to flood damage that reduced Nepal’s hydropower generation. The existing transmission connections offer a source of electricity while damaged facilities are restored. How much power actually reaches users will depend on deliveries and the condition of the networks carrying it. The amount permitted from January 2027 will be reviewed in December 2026. This leaves room to reassess the requirement as Nepal’s electricity system recovers.
Why it matters for UPSC
For GS2, examine how cross-border electricity links support cooperation between India and Nepal. For GS3, connect disaster damage with interruptions to essential services and the need for resilient infrastructure. Distinguish an authorised power ceiling from energy actually delivered and from completed reconstruction.
Key terms
Sources (45)
- UN OCHA · official · Nepal Flash Floods: Rapid Situation Overview (27 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Business Standard · From Rasuwa to Bihar: How Nepal's flash floods can travel into India (27 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- United States Geological Survey · official · M 5.2 Landslide - 55 km NW of Kodari, Nepal (event page, updated 26 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Akashvani News · official · Bihar on high alert following flash flood in Nepal (27 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Business Standard · Day after Nepal floods, Gandak river water level recedes in Bihar (27 August 2026, PTI copy)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- The Tribune · Nepal floods: High alert in parts of UP; vulnerable rivers being monitored, rescue team ready (27 August 2026, PTI copy)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Ministry of External Affairs · official · Indian Response and Relief Efforts after the Devastating Flash Floods in Nepal (29 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- The Tribune · India provides 68.5 tonnes of relief, Bailey bridge, tunnel expertise to flood-hit Nepal (30 August 2026, PTI copy)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Reuters · Nepal needs help in technical areas, not search and rescue: Foreign min (29 August 2026, Reuters copy in Business Standard)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Business Standard · India geared up to supply more power to Nepal amid flash floods (30 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Bloomberg · Fatal Floods Expose Threats to Hydropower in the Roof of the World (2 September 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- UN OCHA · official · Nepal: Rasuwa Flood Flash Update #4 (as of 31 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- UN News · official · Nepal flooding deaths surpass 900 as needs climb (31 August 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Deccan Chronicle · Nepal Issues Flood Alert As Water Levels Rise In Major Rivers (2 September 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- ANI · 5th Indian aircraft with rescue team and 5.5 tonnes of medicines departs for Nepal (2 September 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Business Standard · UPI International, built for tourists, now helps with donations for Nepal (1 September 2026)2 Sep, 5:40 pm
- Bloomberg · Floods aftermath: Nepal seeks climate compensation from India, China, US (2 September 2026)3 Sep, 12:10 am
- PTI · Nepal flash floods: Death toll rises to 1,252 as more bodies recovered (3 September 2026, PTI copy in Business Standard)3 Sep, 3:50 pm
- ANI · Nepal flash flood death toll rises to 1,252, over 4,200 missing (3 September 2026, ANI copy in The Tribune)3 Sep, 3:50 pm
- Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs · official · Daily Situation Update on the Bhote Koshi Flash Floods, 4 September 20264 Sep, 8:10 pm
- AP · Two trapped workers rescued from a hydropower tunnel nine days after Nepal floods4 Sep, 8:10 pm
- Business Standard · Nepal floods: Death toll rises to 1,295; two workers rescued from tunnel (4 September 2026, updated 10:09 pm IST)5 Sep, 3:00 am
- PTI · Nepal floods: death toll rises to 1,295; two workers rescued alive from tunnel after 9 days (PTI copy in Deccan Herald, 4 September 2026)5 Sep, 3:00 am
- ANI · India's relief response continues as fresh 21.5 tonnes of aid arrive in flood-hit Nepal (ANI copy in The Tribune, 4 September 2026)5 Sep, 3:00 am
- Nepal Police · official · Rasuwa Bhote Koshi flood search and rescue update, as of 5 am on 20 Bhadra 2083 (5 September 2026); post on X with infographic, in Nepali5 Sep, 10:45 am
- Business Standard · Nepal floods: Death toll rises to 1,344 as rescue, relief ops continue (5 September 2026, 9:10 am IST, ANI copy)5 Sep, 10:45 am
- ANI · Nepal flash floods: Death toll rises to 1344, says Nepal Police (5 September 2026, 8:39 am IST)5 Sep, 10:45 am
- Radio Nepal · official · Chinese national rescued alive from Upper Trishuli-1 tunnel (Public Service Broadcasting, 5 September 2026)6 Sep, 2:20 am
- Al Jazeera · Rescuers pull Chinese worker, Nepali woman from flood wreckage alive (5 September 2026, AFP, AP and Reuters copy)6 Sep, 2:20 am
- Kathmandu Post · Panel formed to conduct PNDA has six weeks to prepare report (5 September 2026)6 Sep, 2:20 am
- UN News · official · UN aims to raise nearly $50 million for Nepal flood response (4 September 2026)6 Sep, 2:20 am
- Radio Nepal · official · Nepal floods: UN and partners launch 49.6 million dollars emergency appeal (Public Service Broadcasting, 4 September 2026)6 Sep, 2:20 am
- Radio Nepal / RSS · official · Bhotekoshi flood: more than 13,000 rescued (7 September 2026)8 Sep, 2:53 am
- PTI / Business Standard · Nepal flood toll reaches 1,355; nearly 5,000 missing (7 September 2026)8 Sep, 2:53 am
- Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs · official · Bhote Koshi daily situation update, 8 September 2026 at 14:00 NPT8 Sep, 7:51 pm
- PTI / Business Standard · Nepal floods: toll climbs to 1,357, updated 8 September 2026 at 19:09 IST8 Sep, 7:51 pm
- Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs · official · Bhote Koshi situation update, 9 September 2026 at 14:00 NPT9 Sep, 1:45 pm
- PTI / Business Standard · Earlier Nepal Police account: 1,365 deaths, 9 September 2026 at 12:31 IST9 Sep, 1:45 pm
- Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs · official · Daily update, 10 September 2026, 14:00 Nepal time
- Reuters · Devighat photograph documenting the newly opened bridge, 10 September 2026
- PTI / Business Standard · Nepal disaster authority figures: 1,385 dead and 5,130 missing, 11 September 2026
- Nepal Foreign Ministry · official · 11 September briefing: rapid recovery assessment and continuing response
- PTI / Business Standard · Nepal’s recovery needs and the limits of the rapid assessment
- Ministry of Power / PIB · official · Electricity exports to Nepal after flood damage
- Business Standard · India to export 654 MW power to Nepal 18 hours a day