Villagers have started using electricity at Gorkha’s Barpak Village—the epicentre of the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015.

The electricity networks and a hydropower plant were damaged in the quake. Operator of private Micro-hydropower Project in Barpak Village Bir Bahadur Ghale said that they had repaired the project, taking grant from some social organisations. The project has repaired power house, pipe line, canal and poles in the village at the cost of Rs 10 million. On Sunday, the project successfully tested the plant to coincide with the quake anniversary. 

The restoration of electricity lines have brought some relief to 1,400 households in a tiny and vibrant settlement in Barpak. 

“We have installed electricity on the same day when Barpak had turned dark,” said local Rapani Gurung, adding that it has helped increased their work efficiency. The telecom service had also been disrupted in the village after the tremor knocked off a telephone tower on the fateful day. Without electricity, the villagers had been banking on generators for 2-3 hours of power each day. 

“It was expensive and troublesome,” said another local Biru Ghale. “The electricity produced by the generator was insufficient to all of the households.” The villagers believe the restoration of power plant will also help revive the tourism industry that has taken a hit after the quake.