Nepal tunnel rescue, Ram temple trust’s new CEO, and more: The week in 5 charts
This report covers the ongoing rescue efforts for workers trapped in Nepal's hydropower tunnels following flash floods. It also notes the appointment of a new CEO for the Ram temple trust and significant voter roll deletions in Maharashtra.
Why it matters
These events highlight critical infrastructure vulnerabilities in Nepal and significant administrative shifts in Indian religious and electoral management.
Rescue efforts continued in Nepal, where flash floods have left over 900 workers at over 10 hydroelectric power plants trapped in tunnels. Two were rescued alive on Friday last week (September 4, 2026). The Indian rescue team reported progress at a tunnel in Chilime after digging deeper to get heavy equipment through. The disaster dealt a blow to Nepal’s power generation capacity, damaging 10% of it, according to Reuters
A map showing hydropower plants in Nepal where workers are missing
Hydropower plants include structures like the weir, headrace tunnel to carry the water, headworks downstream to harness it, including a powerhouse. This powerhouse can be underground and accessed through a tunnel network. However, locating these access tunnels have proved to be a challenge due to debris washed down the river.
An illustrative layout of a hydropower plant
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