Oct 18, Kathmandu - The Dana–Rahughat section of the 220 kV Kaligandaki Corridor transmission line in Myagdi has resumed temporary operation, 21 days after it was damaged by heavy rain, floods, landslides and erosion along the Kaligandaki River.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) restored one circuit at 10:15 p.m. Saturday using an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) tower.

Flooding at Pokharebagar in Annapurna Rural Municipality-6 damaged all four transmission towers in the area: towers 21, 23 and 24 were destroyed, while tower 22 was partially damaged. The outage had prevented five privately operated hydropower projects, with a combined capacity of 170 MW, from sending electricity to the national grid through the Dana substation. Their power has now been reconnected.

NEA Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha said staff, working with the private sector in difficult and remote terrain, successfully installed the ERS tower to restore the line temporarily. Roshan Khadka, head of the Pokhara Grid Division, said permanent reconstruction of the damaged towers would now move forward.

The approximately 130-kilometre, double-circuit Kaligandaki Corridor line runs from the Dana substation in Myagdi through Parbat, Baglung, Syangja, Palpa and Rupandehi to the New Butwal substation in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta West). It has a total transmission capacity of around 1,200 MW.