Monsoon mayhem continues nationwide

By A staff reporter,Kathmandu, July 8: Lifestyle of people across the country affected on Sunday because of monsoon mahem nationwide.

Bodies of three Tanahun landslide victims found

According to our Tanahun correspondence, bodies of three locals who had gone missing after a landslide buried a house Bodies of three locals who had gone missing after a landslide buried a house in Shuklagandaki-7, Kaure, Tanahun, have been found.

The body of the house owner, 40-year-old Hira Nepali, was found on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, the bodies of 37-year-old Anisha Bastola and 65-year-old Shyam Adhikari were also found, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Raya of the District Police Office, Tanahun. 

Four persons were injured in the landslide, and they were receiving treatment at a local medical facility, according to the police.

The landslide occurred while Hira Nepali, along with neighbours Bastola and Adhikari, were moving household items due to the increased risk of landslides following incessant rainfall since Friday evening. 

The death toll from landslides in Tanahun on Saturday has reached four. In Rishing Rural Municipality, Jhapputar, 50-year-old Krishna Pulami Magar, a local working at the Tanahun Hydropower Project, died in a landslide, while 51-year-old Somlal Shrestha from Sundarbazar Municipality-2, Lamjung, was injured.

The District Administration Office has urged residents of riverbanks and landslide-prone areas to exercise high caution as heavy rainfall continued in the area. Chief District Officer Janardan Gautam has requested everyone to take measures to mitigate the potential damage from the rain.

Two persons rescued from Narayani 

According to our Nawalpur Correspondent, Bomlal Giri, technical team of the Armed Police Force Nepal on Saturday night rescued two persons stuck in the confluence of the Narayani River in Nawalpur. 

The rescued individuals were identified as 50-year-old Om Bahadur Gurung and 42-year-old Khum Bahadur Gurung, both are residents of Gaindakot Municipality-5. 

Another person, 35-year-old Ramesh Bote, who was also trapped in the flood, managed to swim to safely on his own.

They were trapped while fishing in the Narayani River at Butwal Bazaar in Gaindakot Municipality-6, Nawalparasi. 

Upon receiving information about the incident, a 15-member team from Armed Police Force Nepal of the No. 31 Battalion, Nawalpur, was deployed, but when they couldn't carry out the rescue, a team of divers was sent from the Disaster Management Training Academy, Kurintar.

Two drown in Kavrepalanchwok river

Kedar Timalsina reports from Banepa that two people died while crossing a river in Rosi Rural Municipality-11 of Kavrepalanchwok district. 

According to the District Police Office Kavrepalanchwok, 65-year-old Jalmaya Ruzal Magar and her five-year-old granddaughter Setimaya Ruzal Magar drowned while crossing the Bhakure River at 7:00 pm on Saturday evening.

Jalmaya and Setimaya were swept away by the flood caused by continuous rainfall since Saturday morning. 

A police team led by Police Inspector Krishna Giri from the Area Police Office, Mangaltar was deployed to search for them. Their bodies were found about 900 metres downstream, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Shrestha of the District Police Office, Kavrepalanchwok.

Two die in Parbat landslide

Ganesh Paudel reports from Parbat that two youth died at Karkineta, Phalebas Municipality-1, Parbat when a landslide from a hillside above the settlement caved in their house and cowshed.

The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Jhalak Sharma from Karkineta and 32-year-old Tulsiram Paudel from Pakhrebot, Andhikhola Rural Municipality-3, Syangja. 

Jhalak Sharma is the son of resident Kul Prasad Padhya while Tulsiram was visiting relatives when the landslide occurred, according to Khumlal Bhusal, Chief of the District Police Office, Parbat.

The deceased were trying to relocate buffaloes and goats from the shed to a safer place when they were trapped in the landslide. 

Two buffaloes, one ox, and four goats kept in Padhya's cowshed were also buried. The hillside above Jhalak's house had been weakened by continuous rainfall since Friday.

A 12-member team led by Police Inspector Bhuwan Baram from the District Police Office, Parbat, reached the incident site. 

Meanwhile, the road obstructed by the flood in the Tamadi River between Kushma-7 and 8 along the Mid-Hill Highway has been cleared, according to the District Police Office, Parbat.

The road, blocked by continuous mudflow, was reopened with the help of a bulldozer, though there were brief interruptions, according to Khumlal Bhusal, Chief of the District Police Office, Parbat. 

Similarly, the Maldhunga Beni road along the Kaligandaki Highway, which had been obstructed, has now been resumed from Sunday. Despite occasional landslides, bulldozers have been deployed at various locations to keep the highway open, he said.

Landslides block Kali Gandaki Corridor

According to our Tamghas correspondent landslides have blocked the Kali Gandaki Corridor since Friday. Various sections of the Harmichaur-Purtighat road section of the corridor were blocked by landslides, caused by the incessant rain.

Landslides at Gargare, Muluk, Patikhola and Barlwa have obstructed the road section since Friday and continuous rain has made it impossible to clear the landslide debris. Kali Gandaki Rural Municipality’s Vice-chairperson, Manju Darlami said, “Using a bulldozer during the rain could cause more landslides and increase the risk, so the debris will only be cleared after the rain stops.” 

Operation of both long and short-distance vehicles has been halted due to the blockage of the corridor.

Beda Bahadur Thapa, Chairperson of Kali Gandaki Rural Municipality, has urged people not to travel unless necessary because of the threats posed by continuous rain. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Shankar Pokhrel informed that the Rudrabeni-Wamitaksar road section was also closed due to continuous rain. He has urged the people of Gulmi to remain vigilant and immediately inform the nearest police station or administration if any problem occurs.

All gates of Gandak Barrage opened to curb flood risks

Our Nawalpur Correspondent said the water level in the Narayani River has increased beyond the danger level prompting the authorities to open all gates of the Gandak Barrage.

At  9:00 on Sunday, the water level at Gandaki Barrage reached 3,15,000 cusecs. As the barrage is old, it is risky if the water level crosses 300,000 cusecs. 

All 36 gates of Narayani River were opened when the water level increased to 260,000 cusecs. However, the water level was still rising,  Kashinath Harijan, an officer designated at the Barrage, said.  At 7 am on Sunday, the water level was measured at 415,000 cusecs as it was raining heavily in the areas.

Harijan further said that the water level would further increase at the barrage if the water level crosses the danger mark at Devghat.

Meanwhile, according to our Nepalgunj correspondent Siraj Khan, the Armed Police Force recused four boatmen on Sunday. They were stuck on the other side of the Rapti River overnight due to continuous rainfall.

According to Armed Police Superintendent Bimal Dangi, the four boatmen were stranded with their boats on the far bank of the Rapti River at Piprahawaghat in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality-6, Banke. He said that a team from the Armed Police Force Nepal No. 30 Battalion Headquarters and the Armed Police Force Nepal No. 42 Reserve Battalion Headquarters rescued Dinesh Mallaha, Raju Mallaha, Om Prakash Goudia and Ramsingh Mallaha. 

Superintendent Bimal Dangi and Deputy Superintendent Dev Bahadur Bohora led a team of 43 police officers from the respective battalions to rescue the four boatmen. 

Dinesh Mallaha, a boatman, said that they had crossed the river on Saturday evening to drop off passengers but were stranded overnight on the riverbank after heavy flood in the Rapti River. He said they spent the night in fear of being swept away by the flood. 

Meanwhile, in Gayatrinagar of Nepalgunj-20, six houses were submerged in flooding. Superintendent Dangi said that a team led by Armed Police Assistant Inspector Santosh Kumar Sharma relocated six families and their belongings to the safe and elevated Gayatri Temple from the Armed Police Force Nepal Oil Corporation Security Base Ranjha.