The devastating floods that swept through the Bhotekoshi river system last Wednesday severely damaged telecommunications infrastructure in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts, knocking out dozens of mobile sites and disrupting communications across the disaster zone.

Nepal Telecom, the state-owned operator, reported major damage to 83 of its mobile towers, while private operator Ncell said 27 of its sites were affected.

Both companies say most services have now been restored. But residents in the flood-hit areas say having a signal does not necessarily mean having a usable connection: calls can take several attempts to connect, drop midway or become so distorted that callers cannot understand each other.

Telecom operators say their technical teams have worked continuously since the disaster to restore services.

Nepal Telecom said it has brought all of its flood-affected sites back into operation. Where towers were completely washed away, including sites at Timure, Chilime Khola and Trishuli 3A, the company has provided coverage through nearby alternative sites.

“Priority will be given to rebuilding towers that were completely destroyed,” said Kamal Lamichhane, spokesperson for Nepal Telecom.

Ncell said 24 of the 27 affected sites have been restored. Three sites, at Trishuli in Nuwakot and Tiru and Timure in Rasuwa, were completely destroyed and remain difficult to bring back into service.

At Tiru, the lack of road access means equipment will have to be transported by helicopter to rebuild the tower. At Trishuli, Ncell is using a ropeway across the river to move equipment and carry out reconstruction work.

The disaster has also inflicted substantial financial losses on telecom operators.

At Timure, a Ncell mobile tower and more than 60 kilometres of optical fibre were completely washed away. The company’s preliminary assessment puts its direct physical losses at more than Rs90 million.

Nepal Telecom has also lost three sites entirely, although the company has yet to determine the full extent of its financial losses.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the federal parliament on Wednesday that 95 percent of telecommunications services in the disaster-affected areas had been restored.

On the ground, however, users say the quality of the service remains far from satisfactory.

“In one or two attempts, the call connects, but you can’t hear what the other person is saying. You can hear the flood-like ringing sound instead,” said Ramhari Prasad Bhatta, a resident of Jiling in Nuwakot. “Sometimes there is a crackling sound while you are speaking, and sometimes it says the phone is switched off.”

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the sector regulator, confirmed that it had received similar complaints.

“In some places, services are being provided through alternative towers, so congestion or heavy traffic may be causing occasional quality problems,” said Min Prasad Aryal, spokesperson for the authority. “The authority is facilitating efforts to restore services to the required quality.”

In areas such as Trishuli and Timure where restoring normal networks remains difficult, the regulator has provided the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority with 30 satellite phones for emergency use.

With key sections of optical fibre washed away, operators are also relying on wireless microwave technology as a temporary alternative.

A Nepal Telecom engineer said the technology had its own limitations.

“The quality has deteriorated somewhat because of heavy traffic and the technical limitations of microwave technology,” the engineer said. “During a disaster like this, people should minimise non-essential internet and social media use and rely on short voice calls or SMS where possible. That will make communication easier.”

The Bhotekoshi disaster has exposed wider weaknesses in Nepal’s emergency communications infrastructure, telecom operators and experts say.

Nabin GC, vice-president of delivery and services at Huawei Nepal, said telecom companies should not rely solely on optical fibre in disaster-prone areas.

“Companies need to have robust alternative communication systems such as microwave or satellite backups ready in advance to deal with similar crises in the future,” he said.

Power failures are another vulnerability. GC said telecom operators need long-term backup power arrangements, including mobile generators and solar systems, so that mobile networks do not go down whenever the national electricity grid is disrupted.

Experts also say Nepal needs a coordinated emergency communications plan that allows the government and telecom operators to exchange information immediately during disasters and coordinate rescue and relief operations.

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority drafted an “Integrated Disaster Communication Plan” after the 2015 earthquake, which exposed serious weaknesses in the country’s communications infrastructure.

But the proposal has never been implemented.

The authority says it will now review the proposal and consider moving it forward.

A Nepal Telecommunications Authority employee said such a plan was essential because disasters can simultaneously cut roads and telecommunications networks, leaving rescue teams and affected communities isolated.

“When both roads and telecommunications can be completely disrupted during a disaster, a strong emergency communications plan is essential for effective communication, rescue and relief,” the employee said.

Emergency equipment such as satellite phones supplied by the telecommunications authority to the government should also be kept on standby and regularly charged and tested, the employee said.