"Nepal Requests Early Power Import Approvals After Flash Flood Damages Hydropower Infrastructure"
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)
sudden drainage of a glacial lake causing catastrophic downstream flooding in Himalayan valleys.
Power Trade Agreement (PTA) 2014
bilateral agreement formally enabling cross-border electricity trade between India and Nepal.
Nepal sits at the southern edge of the Himalayas, where steep river gradients, fragile geology, and intense monsoon rainfall combine to create one of the world's most hazardous flood environments. Rivers such as the Bhotekoshi, Koshi, Gandak, and Karnali originate in the Tibetan Plateau and cut through Nepal's mid-hills before entering the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Their catchments receive some of the highest rainfall intensities on earth during the monsoon season, with glacial meltwater adding to river discharge even outside the monsoon window. The transboundary character of these rivers is central to disaster risk: a cloudburst or Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Nepal's hills can translate into a dangerous flood surge at Indian barrages within hours.
Nepal's Himalayan terrain also gives it an estimated technically feasible hydropower potential of over 80,000 MW, of which only a small fraction has been developed. India is Nepal's largest electricity market, and the bilateral energy relationship is formalised through the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) of 2014, which enabled cross-border electricity trade. Nepal's generation is dominated by run-of-river hydropower plants that depend directly on river flows, making the sector acutely vulnerable to flood-related infrastructure damage. India's disaster governance rests on the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which established the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and a three-tier structure, while India is also a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, prioritising risk reduction over reactive relief.
Large numbers of Indian pilgrims travel through Nepal annually, including those undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via the Sino-Nepal border. This makes consular preparedness and bilateral disaster coordination a standing operational requirement. Real-time hydrological data sharing between India, Nepal, and China, however, remains underdeveloped, and joint early-warning systems are limited.
Flash floods in Nepal's river systems are driven by several interacting factors. Intense monsoon rainfall on steep Himalayan slopes generates rapid runoff with little soil absorption. Landslides triggered by the same rainfall frequently dam rivers temporarily, forming barrier lakes whose sudden breach releases catastrophic volumes of water downstream. GLOFs represent a related but distinct hazard: the rapid drainage of glacial lakes formed by retreating glaciers, capable of sending walls of water and debris through narrow river valleys with little warning.
Cross-border electricity trade between India and Nepal operates on a seasonal model that mirrors the monsoon cycle. Nepal exports surplus power to India roughly from May to October, during the monsoon and post-monsoon period. …
Consider the following statements:
1.The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade.
2.'Textile and textile articles' constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh.
3.In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists:
List I (Project Supported by India)
A.Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project
B.Restoration of Stor Palace
C.District Hospital at Dickoya
D.Institute of Security and Law Enforcement Studies
List II (Country)
1.Maldives
2.Afghanistan
3.Bhutan
4.Sri Lanka
Consider the following statements regarding India-Nepal cross-border electricity trade:
1.Nepal exports surplus hydropower to India during the monsoon season and imports power from India during the winter months.
2.Cross-border electricity transmission in India requires mandatory clearance from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
3.In fiscal year 2025-26, India exported more power to Nepal than it imported from Nepal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List I (India-Nepal power trade features) with List II (details):
List I
A.Governing bilateral agreement for cross-border electricity trade
B.Indian national grid operator managing cross-border flows
C.Nepal's state electricity utility
D.Indian regulatory body clearing cross-border transmission
List II
1.Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA)
2.Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
3.Grid India
4.Power Trade Agreement (PTA) 2014
Select the correct answer using the codes below:
Consider the following statements about Nepal's hydropower sector and its trade with India:
1.Nepal's run-of-river hydropower plants are particularly vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) because they lack large storage reservoirs.
2.Nepal's technically feasible hydropower potential is estimated at over 80,000 MW.
3.The Power Trade Agreement between India and Nepal was signed in 2014.
4.Nepal typically begins importing electricity from India starting around April each year.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Which of the following best explains why a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in the Nepal-Tibet border region can simultaneously disrupt multiple hydropower plants across a river basin?
Consider the following statements about the impact of the 2026 Nepal flash flood on India-Nepal power trade:
1.Nepal's electricity generation capacity declined by approximately 550 MW due to flood-induced infrastructure damage.
2.Cross-border power flow from Nepal to India fell by approximately 400 MW from earlier peaks.
3.India announced emergency power procurement from alternative sources to compensate for the shortfall.
4.Nepal requested India to advance import approvals to September, ahead of the usual October start.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Want the full note, Prelims Facts & MCQ answers?
Create a free account — takes less than a minute.
Create free account