Landslides, floods kill 19 in different places, one goes missing

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Oct. 10: At least 19 people have died while one went missing in the last 24 hours of landslides and floods triggered by continuous rains in different parts of the country. 

These people were killed in Jumla, Pyuthan, Salyan, Dhading, Jajarkot, Lamjung, and Dang districts, according to Dr. Dijan Bhattarai, Spokesperson and Under Secretary at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). 

In a total of 52 natural disaster cases that occurred in the 24 hours, five people have been injured. Among the total deceased, 12 were men and seven women.  According to NDRRMA update, the highest rainfall was measured in Dadeldhura with 120 mm in the last 24 hours. According to an update of the NDRRMA, out of 187 rain measuring stations of the Meteorological Forecasting Division, 144 stations recorded rainfall.

Over 15,000 people affected by inundation in Nepalgunj  

Inundations and floods after continuous rains in Nepalgunj of Banke district displaced nearly 5,000 households.   

Breaking all the records so far, when the big flood in the Rapti River entered the Tikulipur settlement in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality 2,400 families were displaced, according to the Banke Disaster Management Committee. About 3,000 locals have been displaced in the village alone.

Rupan Gyawali, information officer of the Disaster Management Committee, said that work has begun to shift the affected to a safe place. In the same way, 1,500 people from Duduwa Agricultural Chowferi and Panjha villages have also been displaced. 

Similarly, the ward office said that more than 500 residents of more than 100 families were also displaced after the flood in Duduwa river in Nepalgunj Ward Number 18 and 20 of Manikapur area.According to the Rural Municipality, 200 houses in various villages of Narainapur, which were heavily affected by floods and inundation, were damaged and more than 7,000 local residents were affected there alone.

Heavy rains lash Nepalgunj, hundreds of houses, shops waterlogged 

Most of the wards of Nepalgunj have been flooded again due to the heavy rain that started on Sunday morning. Due to heavy rain for two hours, hundreds of houses and shops have been waterlogged. 

The incessant rain that started last Wednesday morning stopped on Saturday afternoon, but due to heavy rain again from Sunday morning, dozens of houses were flooded after water accumulated in most parts of the sub-metropolitan city.

Gharbari Tole of the city, the area from Setuwichok to Triveni turn of New Road, Ganeshpur settlement, bus park area, Dhambozhi, Ekalaini Tole, Bilaspur, Korianpur and Bhrikutinagar and many areas of wards 20, 14, 22 and 23 have been flooded. Flooding occurred after the water flow of the big canals built for the drainage of water in Surkhet Road, New Road and other places was blocked, according to the locals. 

Landslides wash away kiwis, orange farming  

Meanwhile, landslides that occurred after torrential rain have caused great damage to the kiwi and orange farming in Rukum West. The landslide in Triveni Rural Municipality-6 Rangte of the district caused damage to kiwi and orange cultivation of the farmers.

According to the ward chairman Bhadra Bahadur Sirpali, the local kiwi and orange farms have incurred damage worth Rs. 1 million due to the landslide. Local Keshav Bahadur KC’s kiwi farm done in 10 ropanis of land and other farmlands were destroyed by the landslides that came in the wake of the rain.

Similarly, normal life of Kailali residents has been affected badly after most of the houses got waterlogged due to incessant rains. After the continuous rains for four days, the life of those living under the tent and tarpaulins along Postal Highway of Dhangadhi has been hit badly. More than 300 families of Bhajani Municipality have been displaced. Locals have faced floods that entered from Kandra, Kandha and Pathraiya rivers.

Jay Prasad Dhungana of Bhajani Municipality-8 Sonaphanta said that the displaced people living under tarpaulins on the road are forced to live without foods and clothes.

(Contributed by Siraj Khan from Nepalgunj, Abinash Chaudhary from Dhangadhi and Rukum West)