Budhi Gandaki flood hits four hydropower projects and washes away bridges in Gorkha

Budhi Gandaki flood damages four hydropower projects and cuts road links in Gorkha

A flood came down the Budhi Gandaki in northern Gorkha on Sunday morning and hit four hydropower projects under construction, preliminary reports said. At the 341 MW Budhigandaki project, promoted by Times Energy, the main camp, buildings and construction equipment were swept away, the Kathmandu Post and OnlineKhabar reported. Merolagani named the other three as Dobhan Khola, Yaru Khola and Machha Khola, where camps, Bailey bridges and an access road were hit. The four projects' planned capacity adds up to about 412 MW. No report put a rupee figure on the losses.

Road links broke too. The Soti bridge in Arughat was washed away, and a 22-metre concrete section of the Arughat bridge between Gorkha and Dhading went with it, according to the Department of Roads' preliminary details carried by OnlineKhabar. The bridge's 60-metre truss appears to be standing. Bailey bridge parts are on their way from Hetauda and will probably arrive on Monday, Gorkha Road Project chief Binod Pun told OnlineKhabar.

The disaster authority's preliminary count, as OnlineKhabar reported it, is at least 45 houses destroyed, 27 partly damaged and five people missing. Army helicopters evacuated 82 people, nine of them foreigners. Local officials gave lower house counts earlier in the day. The cause of the flood is not confirmed.

More than 100 foreign tourists were stranded in the Manaslu area, and a helicopter rescue was being sought, OnlineKhabar reported.

Why it matters: The Budhigandaki project is financed with a Rs 52.5 billion loan from ten banks, ShareSansar reported when it reached financial closure in August 2025. None of Sunday's reports says whether its schedule or insurance is affected.

Life insurers' premium up 15 percent in two months, Bizshala reports

Fourteen life insurers collected Rs 40.54 billion in premium in the first two months of FY 2083/84, to the end of Bhadau, up 15.01 percent from Rs 35.25 billion a year earlier, Bizshala reported without naming its source.

Insurance Authority seeks comments on changes to its reinsurance broker rules

The Insurance Authority is amending its 2078 directive on reinsurance brokers and has asked for comments by email within seven working days, Bizshala reported. The report gives no notice date, no effective date and no list of changes.

SEBON chairman says two capital market acts have been drafted

SEBON chairman Gopal Prasad Bhatta said two new acts, one covering market institutions and one for the regulator itself, have been drafted and are to be sent to the Ministry of Finance, Clickmandu reported. He gave no dates.

Sudurpaschim presents a Rs 37.70 billion budget three months into the fiscal year

Sudurpaschim's new government presented a Rs 37.70 billion budget for FY 2083/84 to the provincial assembly on Sunday. Economic Affairs Minister Chakra Bahadur Malla presented it, OnlineKhabar reported. The assembly has yet to pass it.

The size is unchanged. The Kamal Bahadur Shah government presented a budget of the same amount on Asar 1 (June 15), ShareSansar reported, and it never passed.

Revenue sharing from the federal government is put at Rs 10.24 billion and internal revenue at Rs 1.72 billion, Bizshala reported. Savings from last year count as a source: Rs 9.35 billion in Bizshala's report, Rs 9.65 billion in Kantipur's. Kantipur reported that finance ministry officials put last year's actual surplus at Rs 4.74 billion.

Why it matters: As of August the province had no budget in force, Kantipur reported. No date for the assembly's vote has been reported.

Himalaya Airlines cancels Sunday's Dammam flights, citing tension in Saudi Arabia

Himalaya Airlines cancelled its Kathmandu-Dammam flight and the return on Sunday, citing rising tension in Saudi Arabia and the safety of passengers, OnlineKhabar reported. No date for resuming was given.

Gas cylinders of different companies can be swapped at six Valley sites

Empty cylinders from member gas companies could be swapped for another company's filled cylinder at six Kathmandu Valley sites from Sunday, at no charge beyond the filled cylinder's price. Kantipur reported 3,075 swaps on the first day.

Two-way traffic resumes on the Prithvi Highway at Galaundi

Two-way traffic resumed on the Prithvi Highway at Galaundi in Dhading at 3:10 pm on Sunday, Nepal Police said, according to Clickmandu. Erosion by the Trishuli had damaged the road. Repair work continues, a district notice said, as OnlineKhabar reported.

Bailey bridge at Betrawati reopens the road between Rasuwa and Nuwakot

A Bailey bridge installed with the Nepali Army's help at Betrawati opened to vehicles on Sunday, restoring the road between Rasuwa and Nuwakot more than six weeks after the August 26 flood, the Kathmandu Post reported.