Nepal may tap India for power imports as glacier collapse hits critical hydro infra: Report

Nepal may seek electricity from India to cover impending supply shortfalls after catastrophic flash floods crippled power plants across the country, knocking out roughly 8% of its total generation capacity, according to a Bloomberg report.

The energy crisis comes as the confirmed death toll in Nepal surged to 359 following the disaster, with authorities still searching for more than 1,300 people missing across affected districts and into neighboring Tibet.

The deluge, triggered by a collapsing glacier in the high-altitude Himalayan region between Nepal and Tibet, damaged nearly 360 megawatts of power capacity, predominantly hydro, as per the report, which cited Shaligram Bhandari, a spokesman for Nepal's energy ministry. Nine operational hydroelectric facilities across two districts bore the brunt of the surge.

Bhandari confirmed that a 25-megawatt solar plant and five under-construction projects with a combined capacity of 390 megawatts were also hit. Hydropower makes up more than 90% of Nepal’s 4,300-megawatt grid capacity.

"Repair teams are working to resume power supplies, but Nepal may need to turn to India to bridge shortages in the meantime," Bhandari said, according to the Bloomberg report.

The structural damage threatens to disrupt the land-locked nation's seasonal power trade. Nepal typically exports excess hydroelectricity to India during the wet summer months and imports power during the winter, when freezing rivers curb domestic output.

Over the six months through November 2025, Nepal supplied 600 megawatts of round-the-clock power to its neighbor, with plans to export an additional 500 megawatts this year.

The disaster unfolded when floodwaters thundered through a Nepalese valley near the Chinese border, tearing through infrastructure, inundating villages, and sweeping away buildings.

The incident has refocused scrutiny on expanding energy infrastructure in the fragile Himalayan range. While glacial rivers offer immense potential for carbon-free power, massive dam projects face mounting risks from climate-driven extreme weather.