Recent severe flooding in Nepal has dealt a heavy blow to the country, with hydropower projects across Nepal suffering extensive damage. This has led to a serious electricity shortage in the nation. In order to help Nepal recover from this crisis, the neighboring Indian government has taken a significant decision. The Union Ministry of Power has officially granted permission for the National Load Despatch Centre to allow power exports to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for 18 hours a day — from midnight (00:00 hours) to 6:00 PM (18:00 hours) — demonstrating considerable generosity.
The relevant ministry has stated that this decision by the Centre will remain in effect from September 13, 2026 to December 31, 2026. As part of this arrangement, India will export up to a maximum of 600 MW of power to Nepal through the Muzaffarpur–Dhalkebar double-circuit line, and up to 54 MW through the Tanakpur–Mahendranagar single-circuit line. A review will subsequently be conducted in December 2026 to determine the volume of power to be supplied to Nepal from January 2027 onward.
The Union Ministry of Power stated that meeting Nepal’s power requirements during the current crisis would further strengthen the long-standing diplomatic and energy cooperation between the two countries. Nations around the world have lauded this move as yet another remarkable example of India’s diplomatic approach of standing by neighboring countries in times of difficulty.