Mobile service restored in Thame, Solukhumbu

KATHMANDU: The mobile service interrupted by the flood caused by the bursting of glacial lake in Solukhumbu has been resumed.

Nepal Telecom issued a statement today, confirming that mobile services in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-5, Thame, which had been disrupted by the glacial lake on Aug 16, have now been restored.

The flood had caused issues at the Khumbu Bijuli Company, leading to a power outage that affected the area, including Namche, Khumjung, and the BTS towers at Pani Tanki.

Nepal Telecom has managed to bring these BTS towers back online, thereby restoring telephone services in the region.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, had instructed immediate restoration of communication services in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu-5, Thame, by arranging alternative measures.

Minister Gurung issued these directives after local representatives informed him that the tourist village of Thame had lost communication due to the flood in the Thame River caused by the glacial lake outburst.

The flood caused damage to both private and public infrastructure in Thame. The power outage, which affected electricity and telephone services in the village, occurred after the flood damaged the power house.

The flood also damaged the headworks of the Khumbu Bijuli Company, causing power outages and disrupting communication services in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu-3, 4, and 5.

Local representatives had drawn Minister Gurung’s attention to the need for alternative energy solutions to restore communication services.

In response, Nepal Telecom, acting on the minister’s instructions, contacted both Nepal Telecom and Ncell, directing them to restore services using alternative energy sources.