Relentless rainfall triggers floods, landslides across Nepal

Relentless rainfall across Nepal since Thursday has triggered fresh floods and landslides, swept away houses and disrupted road traffic, according to a media report, as the Himalayan country reels from the disaster that killed at least 1,453 people and more than 5,000 remain missing.

The bodies of 1,451 people have been recovered till Saturday, a month after flash floods, originating near the Nepal-Tibet border, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Two others had died while undergoing treatment. A total of 13,795 people have been rescued till Saturday, the NDRRMA said.

In Rupandehi district, a part of Lumbini province, floodwaters from the Tinau River swept away six houses along the riverbank in Butwal on Saturday night as the river rose above its danger level, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

A police official was quoted as saying that around 200 houses along the riverbank in Butwal were at risk, with security personnel evacuating about 1,000 people overnight after the Tinau and nearby streams swelled amid continued rain.

Authorities initially moved around 500 residents from Majhuwa, a high-risk area in Butwal Metropolitan City-13, to the Durga Temple holding centre, the report said. They were later transferred to safer locations, in various schools in Butwal-11.

The Tinau River crossed its danger mark at around 8 pm on Saturday, prompting security personnel to begin rescue and evacuation operations. The Rupandehi district administration has urged people living near rivers and streams to remain alert and move to safer areas if water levels rise further.

In Chitwan district of Bagmati province, the Narayani River and the Riu stream crossed their danger levels early Sunday as rain continued.

At the Devghat gauge station, the Narayani River reached 9.23 metres at around 5.15 am, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The warning level there is 7.3 metres, and the danger level is 9 metres.

The Riu, which flows along the boundary of Madi and Chitwan National Park, reached 3.92 metres. Its warning level is 3.4 metres, and its danger level is 3.8 metres, the Kathmandu Post reported. The Riu flows through southern Chitwan before joining the Rapti River near Meghauli and eventually draining into the Narayani.

Heavy rain has also triggered landslides and mudslides at several points in Chitwan, disrupting road traffic.

At Dharapani in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-4, part of the road subsided further, and a mud-laden landslide blocked traffic in both directions, a police official said.

A landslide at Simaldhara in the same municipality has also blocked the road in both directions.

Flood and landslide risks also remain high in Karnali, where river levels have continued to rise. The Thuli Bheri River in Dolpa had reached 3.46 metres, just below its 3.56-metre warning level and 3.76-metre danger level, with the water level still rising.

In Humla, the Karnali River at Sarkegad stood at 2.74 metres, below its 4-metre warning level, but was rising. The river level at Biunhidhanda was 2.42 metres.

The Mugu Karnali stood at 5.1 metres, below its 7.5-metre warning level and 9-metre danger level, with the water level rising.

A landslide has blocked the Nagna-Gamgadhi road at Jharikhola in Mugu, the report said.

In Kalikot, a mudslide at Gagne Khola in Shubhakalika Rural Municipality-1 has blocked the Karnali Highway. The Tila Karnali there stood at 3.27 metres, below its 5-metre warning level and 5.45-metre danger level, with the river level falling.

Landslides have also disrupted traffic along the Karnali Corridor at Khaccha in Sarkegad-1, Gopchegauda in Kharpunath-1 and Yalwang in Namkha-4 in Humla.

In Jumla, water levels in the Tila Karnali and Sija rivers remained stable at 3.74 metres and 2.86 metres, respectively.

With rain continuing, authorities across affected districts have urged residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas to remain alert and move to safety when necessary.

On Saturday, flooding from the Narayani and Saptakoshi rivers inundated 389 houses in Nawalparasi West and Saptari districts, forcing hundreds of families to move to safer locations.