A recent flood in Thame Khola has caused significant damage to the dam of the Thame Khola Small Hydropower Project, leaving nearly 1,000 households without electricity. The flood, which occurred last Friday in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-5, Thame, damaged the 930-kilowatt project, disrupting power supply to over 960 households in Wards 4 and 5 of Khumjung, Kunde, Namche, and Thame, according to Sonam Dorjee Sherpa, the manager of Khumbu Bijuli Company.
Pasang Gyaltzen Sherpa, the chairman of Ward 5, stated that the hydropower project sustained extensive damage and that it could take over a month to restore operations. “The flood caused severe damage to the dam, and the repair work is expected to take more than a month,” he said.
The disruption of electricity has also affected communication services in the region. Lama Kaji Sherpa, the chairman of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, highlighted that the power outage has led to a breakdown in mobile network services, leaving the community cut off from communication. “The damage to the power project has caused significant issues, including a lack of electricity and communication services,” he noted.
In response to the crisis, a team led by the Nepal Army, along with Nepal Police, has been deployed for repair work, according to Hem Bahadur Katwal, the in-charge of the Lukla Area Police Office. He added that the extent of the damage has made immediate restoration of the project unlikely.
Although the powerhouse remains intact, the dam has been destroyed, as confirmed by Sonam Gyaltzen Sherpa, a member of the National Assembly and a resident of Namche. Large boulders carried by the flood have accumulated at the dam site, and the Khumbu Bijuli Company has indicated that heavy machinery, such as excavators, will be required to remove them. However, the transportation of such machinery to the site is challenging due to the lack of road access beyond Tham Danda.
“The Khumbu region is in darkness due to the lack of electricity, and we are in discussions on how to restore the damaged power project,” said National Assembly member Sherpa. He also mentioned that the issue has been brought to the attention of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has expressed concern and interest in resolving the problem. Discussions are ongoing on how to transport the necessary machinery to the site. “The sooner we can bring in the machinery, the faster we can restore the project. If we rely solely on manual labor, it could take over a year to complete the repairs,” Sherpa added.
The Thame Khola Hydropower Project, originally constructed in 1993 with local investment and support from the Austrian government, was upgraded to its current capacity of 930 kilowatts with a grant of NPR 44.6 million from the Government of India in 2013. The upgrade included the construction of a penstock pipe to enhance the project’s capacity.
As of yesterday, Nepal Telecom has partially restored mobile services in the area, although communication remains disrupted in regions above Namche. The flood, triggered by the outburst of two glacial lakes at the head of Thame, caused extensive damage in Khumbu and lower Solu areas, sweeping away 20 homes, hotels, a health post, and a school in Thame. Additionally, around 200 meters of trekking trails were washed away between Phakding and Namche, and the Miteri suspension bridge on the Solu-Khumbu route was damaged, cutting off access between Salleri and Khumbu.
