Kathmandu [Nepal], September 14 (ANI): Joint Indian and Nepali rescue teams continue to navigate severe environmental obstacles inside the Chilime Hydropower Project tunnel in Rasuwa, deploying excavators, loaders, and mud pumps to clear blocked sections and reach the underground powerhouse.
Updating on the progress of the joint operations in the flood-hit neighbour country, India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, highlighted that rescue personnel are overcoming unexpected hurdles as they move deeper into the structure.
“Chilime Tunnel Rescue update: India & Nepal joint team continued their work in tandem to clean up the remaining blocked portion of the tunnel with excavators and loaders,” Ambassador Srivastava wrote on X.
“There were unexpected challenges including inflow of water from inside the tunnel and presence of big boulders. The teams are using mud pumps to dewater the area. It is expected that clearing work will continue tomorrow to reach the powerhouse,” he noted.
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The joint rescue operation was launched following severe flash floods and mudslides that deposited heavy slush, rock debris, and water inside the tunnel complex. Equipped with heavy machinery and specialised dewatering pumps, Indian and Nepali technical personnel are working continuously to secure the remaining stretch leading to the powerhouse.
Additionally, with the recent floods in Nepal having caused significant damage to hydropower infrastructure and reducing its domestic power generation capacity, the Indian government has approved export of power to the neighbouring country.
A Power Ministry release said that it has accorded approval for the export of power for 18 hours a day (00:00 hours to 18:00 hours) to Nepal Electricity Authority from September 13, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
“Approval has been given for upto 600MW of export through Muzaffarpur – Dhalkebar 400 kV D/c line and upto 54 MW through Tanakpur – Mahendranagar 132 kV S/c line. The quantum of power to be exported from January 2027, will be reviewed in December,2026,” the release said.
This comes as the death toll from the devastating flash floods in Nepal has reached 1,395, according to the latest official update issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Monday.
According to data released by the NDRRMA, district-wise fatalities include 364 in Chitwan, 232 in Nawalparasi East, 222 in Nawalparasi West, 202 in Nuwakot, and 186 in Rasuwa. Additional casualties were recorded in Gorkha (77), Dhading (72), and Tanahun (38), while two individuals died during treatment in Kathmandu. Among the deceased, 334 have been identified as female, 542 as male, and 512 comprise human body remains.
Search and rescue operations continue for 5,130 missing persons, a figure revised after deducting 104 identified bodies. The authority noted that a total of 13,737 people have been rescued so far. Medical response efforts report 341 individuals currently receiving treatment across 19 hospitals and 278 discharged, with various security agencies providing treatment to 9,358 people.
Emergency deployment figures reveal that the Nepal Army has conducted 1,531 helicopter flights, including 15 flights on Monday, alongside 320 APF-Nepal flights across affected areas. Forensic identification processes are underway, with 1,286 DNA samples collected from the deceased and 1,853 from relatives. Meanwhile, 33 holding centres are currently accommodating displaced individuals, including 1,499 in Nuwakot, 825 in Rasuwa, and 94 in Dhading.
To support affected households, the Government of Nepal announced additional cash support, providing a monthly allowance of NPR 15,000 per family (for up to four members) for up to six months, plus an additional NPR 2,000 for each additional family member unwilling to stay in holding centres. Relief supplies, along with fuel stocks including 47,000 litres of diesel, 16,000 litres of petrol, and 11,000 litres of aviation fuel, continue to be distributed across impacted districts. (ANI)
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