One killed, one injured in rain-caused disasters

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, July 2: Flood killed one person in Sankhuwasabha and landslide injured one more in Achham on Saturday.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), a decayed dead body of a man was found on the banks of the flooded Arun River at Damkatta, Chainpur Municipality–10, Sankhuwasabha district. He has been identified as a resident of Barbardiya Municipality–7, Bardiya district. No further details have been released yet.

Meanwhile, heavy rains caused a house in Sodasa, Mellekh Rural Municipality–6, Achham to collapse, injuring one man who was inside it at the time. 

As per NDRRMA's bulletin, landslides caused damages in 11 districts on Saturday, flood in one district and heavy rains in three districts. Landslips blocked the Prithvi Highway in several locations and also the Butwal-Palpa section Siddhartha Highway. The Pipaldanda-Rampur section of the Kaligandaki Corridor was blocked by the earth that fell from above the road at Sahidkhola, Rambha Rural Municipality–1, Palpa. As of the time of this writing, the road was completely blocked. The corridor was blocked in Nawalpur and Kalikot too by mounds of earth and debris.

Dry landslides also blocked the Narayangadh-Muglin Road once again on Saturday, blocking traffic and stranding scores of people. Mudslides in Okhaldhunga fell trees in the Bhusunge forest that blocked the Siddhicharan Highway.

In Arghakhanchi, landslides have put four houses in Bakhor, Sandhikharka Municipality–6, at risk. 

Heavy rains flooded the Taligaun River in Talara, Aadarsha Rural Municipality–5, and washed away paddy planted on 15 Ropanis of field. The swollen river also damaged a water tank and pipes supplying drinking water to 35 houses.

All in all, calamities caused by the active monsoon caused nearly Rs. 995,000 worth of damages in a span of 24 hours from Friday evening to Saturday evening, as per the bulletin.

More calamities can be expected on Sunday as the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) warns that water levels in the Narayani, Kankai, Kamala, Bagmati and Rapti rivers and their tributaries can increase significantly. On Monday, water levels in the Arun, Simle, Sunkoshi, Hampachuwar, Narayani, Devghat, Trishuli, Betrawati, Seti, Damauli, Kaligandaki, Kumalgaun, Mahakali, Kankai, Kamala, Bagmati and East Rapti are predicted to rise.

However, the DHM has not issued any flash flood warnings for the coming two days.

Regarding rainfall, the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) has forecast light to moderate rains. It too has not issued any warnings for any part of the country.

Never-ending landslides in Muglin

The Narayangadh-Muglin Road experienced several landslides, and, as a result, blockages, from Thursday to Saturday. Yet, according to Division Road Office (DRO) of Bharatpur, there is no measure that can be implemented to solve this problem once and for all.

On Saturday, the land above the road's No. 3 bridge gave way. This, according to DRO Chief Ramesh Poudel, is a new spot. "We had not anticipated a landslide here," he said. "As this is a natural calamity, there is little we can do except clear the debris"

Chief District Officer of Chitwan Surendra Paudel said that security personnel and equipment were present in the area round the clock to clear landslides without delay.

Kiran Karki, head of the Muglin Narayangadh Road Improvement Project, said that all they could do was pray. "The latest landslide fell from a place that had layered rocks. So, even light rain can cause more debris falls."

He added, "We cannot now devise a solution for this year. So, all we can do is rely on God." Nevertheless, the number of risk areas is decreasing. Last year, 33 spots had been identified as vulnerable to landslides while this year, that number is only two.

Debris clearing costing Rs. 10 million

Narayan Prasad Poudel, accountant at DRO Bharatpur, told The Rising Nepal that it cost over Rs. 10 million every year to clear landslides. "This is the money spent on providing allowance to the technicians and operating and repairing the equipment," he said.

Most of this money is provided by the Road Board Nepal but the DRO also covers some of the expenses.

(With inputs from our correspondents Shaligram Nepal in Chitwan and Basanta Parajuli in Bharatpur)