Rain disaster causes widespread damage to infrastructure in Taplejung

By Chandra Pandak,Taplejung, July 26: Since the start of the Nepali month of Shrawan (mid-July), floods and landslides triggered by rainfall has caused widespread damage to infrastructure in Taplejung district. Rain has been recorded almost daily, leading to damage in several areas.

According to the police, landslides and floods have damaged roads, bridges, homes and other physical structures across the district. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bed Prasad Gautam, who is also the chief of Taplejung police, confirmed that rain-induced disasters have continued since mid-July.

On Tuesday night alone, heavy rainfall caused floods and landslides that damaged various structures and crops in Faktanglung and Sirijangha rural municipalities. A Bailey bridge over the Tamor River, which connects the Tamor Corridor Road, was swept away by the flood in Tapethok of Faktanglung-5 and Lelep-6.

Similarly, at Linkhim of Faktanglung-3, a diversion made with hume pipes was damaged by floods from the Tawa River, blocking the Tamor Corridor Road. 

A wooden bridge used by pedestrians and motorcyclists over the Sisawa River near the administrative centre in Tapethok was also swept away, said Rural Municipality Chairperson Rajan Limbu (Mukti). He added that the flood in the Sisawa River further damaged the road, disrupting transportation.

On the same night, a landslide struck Bipudhap village in Faktanglung-4 Ikhabu, damaging three houses. 

According to DSP Gautam, a two-storey house made of stone, mud, wood and zinc sheets, belonging to Kumar Limbu, was damaged. Houses belonging to Mangal Bahadur Limbu and Man Kumar Limbu were also affected. The police said the houses developed cracks due to landslide, making them unsafe to live in.

Local Sukhamaya Limbu’s farmland in Bipudhap was also damaged. The landslide completely destroyed her millet, maize and cardamom crops grown on four ropanis of land.

On Tuesday night, a landslide in Yamphudin, Sirijangha-8, also damaged cardamom fields planted by local farmers. According to the District Police Office, a landslide destroyed 15 ropanis of cardamom planted by Abhiman Rai. 

Similarly, cardamom plants grown on about two ropanis each by Padam Bahadur Rai, Hasta Bahadur Rai, and Basanta Rai were damaged. Paddy fields belonging to Jeet Bahadur Rai, Birkha Bahadur Rai and Dev Kumar Rai were also affected.

Likewise, on Saturday last week, a flood in the Mangmaya River in Maiwakhola Rural Municipality blocked the Madan Bhandari Highway. The section of the Sanghu-Dhungesanghu-Phungling road was cleared and reopened by the rural municipality after the floodwaters receded, the police confirmed.

Since mid-July, continuous rain has caused repeated incidents of floods and landslides across Taplejung, damaging crops, roads, footpaths, and bridges. Among the affected areas, Faktanglung Rural Municipality has suffered the most damage. 

According to Raj Kumar Mishra, Assistant Meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Dharan, 106.3 millimetres of rain fell in Tapethok, Lelep and Ikhabu areas of Faktanglung on Tuesday night alone.