Power generation totalling 55 megawatts has come to a halt after heavy rainfall, and flooding damaged hydropower projects built on rivers flowing along the border of Taplejung and Panchthar districts.

Floods in the Kabeli and Indrawati rivers on Friday night disrupted production at four projects, including the 25MW Kabeli B-1 hydropower project. The electricity generated from these projects is connected to the Amarpur substation in Panchthar.

According to the Amarpur substation, floodwaters damaged structures of two projects on the Kabeli river and two others on the Indrawati river, forcing all of them to suspend production.

The projects affected include the 25MW Kabeli project operated by Arun Kabeli Power Limited and the 10MW cascade hydropower project under Kabeli B-1.

Lekharaj Neupane, an employee at Arun Kabeli Power Limited, said floods damaged the intake and other structures of the project. He said stones, mud, silt and logs carried by the floodwaters had piled up at the dam and intake areas, halting production.

The floods also disrupted electricity generation at the 9.9MW Iwa Khola project operated by Ridi Hydropower Limited and the 9.7MW project operated by Iwa Hydropower Limited on the Indrawati river.

According to Mausam Seyling, an employee at Iwa Hydropower Limited, floodwaters damaged the intake area, pipelines and powerhouse structures of the project.