Electricity exports from Nepal to Bangladesh via Indian transmission lines have remained suspended following the shutdown of multiple hydroelectric plants caused by devastating floods in Nepal's Bhotekoshi River.

According to a report published by The Kathmandu Post on Wednesday, floods last week damaged two hydroelectric projects authorised to supply power to Bangladesh, halting electricity generation ever since.

The two affected sites are the 22.1-MW Chilime Hydropower Plant and the 24-MW Trishuli Hydropower Station.

The report noted that rivers in Nepal swell during the regular monsoon season, making it a peak period for hydroelectricity production.

Over recent years, Nepal exported an average of around 1,000MW of electricity during the monsoon, leveraging this capacity in an effort to establish itself as a regional power exporter.

However, these very rivers have turned catastrophic this year.

A flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River on Aug 26 triggered widespread devastation, forcing several hydroelectric facilities to shut down and causing Nepal's power exports to drop dramatically.

In the aftermath of the flooding, electricity generation fell from 1,000MW to around 650MW.

As a result, the electricity exports Nepal was routing to Bangladesh through the Indian grid have come to a complete standstill.

Previously, on Jan 5, 2024, a tripartite agreement was signed to import electricity from Nepal between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), India's NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN), and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

Under the agreement, Nepal had been exporting 40MW of electricity annually to Bangladesh from Jun 15 through Nov 15.