KATHMANDU: Construction of many hydropower projects started by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has been affected by April 25 earthquake and due to fuel shortage following the de facto blockade imposed by India, resulting in the failure to complete the hydropower projects on time.

Of the projects, Chameliya Hydropower, Upper Trisuli A, Kulekhani III and Rahughat have been hit hard the most and they may not be completed on time, authorities said.

NEA officials said that of them, the process to announce new bidding to resume the Rahughat hydropower project is underway after the previous contractor left midway without completing the project.

Likewise, Sher Singh Bhat, chief of production directorate of the authority, said that five-kilometre road access to the Upper Trisuli III A has been damaged by the quake and that it will take at least two years to restore it even if halted works start immediately as per government's recent decision.

Meanwhile, speaking at the meeting of Agriculture and Waters Resources Committee under the Legislature-Parliament held today, officiating secretary at the Energy Ministry, Samir Ratna Shakya, shared that the ministry has already released a total of Rs 1.32 billion to reconstruct structures ravaged by the quake, but he said the failure for the board meeting of the authority to take place for so long due to various reasons has made the matter worse.