Hetauda, Sept. 12 -- The catastrophic Bhotekoshi floods on August 26 damaged more than a dozen hydroelectric projects, compelling the Nepal Electricity Authority to run the country's primary backup power station, the reservoir-based Kulekhani, round-the-clock during the peak rainy season.

The emergency run has brought the project under severe operational stress. Traditionally reserved exclusively for the dry winter months to balance the national grid, all three cascading powerhouses of the Kulekhani scheme are currently generating electricity continuously to offset the loss of more than 400 megawatts of power knocked offline in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

"The catastrophic flood completely crippled several major power plants in the ce...