Industrial units that consume high energy in Ghorahi and Lamahi may have to wait for up to a month to get electricity supply after a landslide damaged a transmission tower in Lamahi.

The landslide caused by incessant rainfall damaged a transmission tower at Beldangi of Lamahi Municipality-6 on Friday, disrupting the supply of electricity to high energy consuming industrial units such as cement factories.

“The work to remove the debris brought by the landslide is undergoing,” said Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha, chief of transmission directorate at the Nepal Electricity Authority. “Once we assess the degree of damage caused in the tower, we can say how long we have to stop supplying electricity to those factories.”

According to Shrestha, it will take at least a week to erect a tower in the same place if the foundation of the tower has not been damaged. “Otherwise, it will take about a month to erect a new tower by laying a new foundation,” he said.

According to NEA, it has arranged electricity for the residents of Lamahi and Ghorahi for household use from the Hapure-based 33kV substation. “High energy consuming factories may have to wait for more days,” said NEA’s Managing Director Kul Man Ghising.

The capacity of the transmission line should be raised to supply power to the high energy consuming industries.

Likewise, damages caused to another transmission tower at Attariya, Kailali obstructed the evacuation of power from some hydropower projects in far-western Nepal, including 30MW Chameliya Hydropower Project, 8.8MW Naugarh Gad Hydro Electric Project and 8MW Upper Naugarh Gad Small Hydro Electric Project based in Darchula, for two days.

The transmission tower under the 132 kV Blanch-Atariya transmission line was damaged on Sunday, according to the NEA.

“As a result, evacuation of electricity from hydropower projects including Chameliya and projects of the Api Power Company has been obstructed,” said Shrestha.

Chameliya is the NEA-owned project while Naugarh Gad and Upper Naugarh Gad were developed by Api Power Company, a private company.

“Now, evacuation of power has resumed from our hydropower projects,” said Guru Neuapne, founder of Api Power Company.

According to the NEA, the transmission tower that was temporarily repaired after the massive damage last year was brought down again by the new landslide.

“We have already installed a new transmission tower at a nearby location after the damages to the existing tower last year which will help evacuate the power again,” said Shrestha.

Landslides, thunderstorms and storms set off by incessant rains have damaged transmission lines, towers, distribution towers and transformers, affecting electricity supply in the districts including Rupandehi, Arghakhanchi, Palpa and Dang, the NEA said.