Kathmandu, Sep 10 (IANS) As Nepal continues to grapple with the devastation caused by the massive Bhotekoshi River floods in Rasuwa district, a new threat has emerged, with a series of landslides blocking rivers and streams across the country over the past two weeks.
These incidents have raised fresh concerns over the risk of further flooding and disasters in a country vulnerable to climate change-induced disasters.
On August 26, an avalanche blocked the Lhendi Khola, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, in Rasuwa district in Nepal-China border area. Subsequent flooding caused massive loss of life and property, with the latest figures showing that 1,369 people had died and 5,132 remained unaccounted for as of Wednesday evening, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
Since then, three separate incidents involving rivers or streams being blocked have occurred in Nepal. However, they did not result in large-scale flooding as the water gradually washed away the landslide debris.
The latest river blockage occurred in Annapurna Rural Municipality, a remote mountainous area of Kaski district in western Nepal.
On Tuesday, a landslide temporarily blocked the Kimrung Khola, a tributary of the Modi Khola River, in Annapurna Rural Municipality, raising concerns about a possible flash flood downstream.
Authorities issued an alert for residents of Nayapul, Birethanti and surrounding settlements downstream of the blockage, urging them to move to safe locations and take necessary precautionary measures.
On Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority issued another notice saying that water flow in the Kimrung Khola had returned to normal and that there was currently no major risk of flooding.
“However, as a normal level of risk remains, people are advised to remain alert and exercise caution along the Modi Khola up to the confluence with the Kali Gandaki River,” the authority said.
Kumang Singh Gurung, chief district officer at District Administration Office, Kaski, said the alert was issued after shepherds reported that the stream had been blocked at a location near Annapurna South.
“The landslide blocked the upper section of the Kimrung Khola,” he said.
On September 4, the Chameliya River, a tributary of the Mahakali River, which forms part of the boundary between Nepal and India, was partially blocked at Bhattar in Apihimal Rural Municipality of Darchula due to continuous landslides in the area.
The landslides occurred from the morning of September 4 until the afternoon of that day, prompting the District Administration Office, Darchula, to issue an alert to residents living along the banks of the Chameliya, locally known as the Chaulani River.
The administration warned of the possibility that the river could become completely blocked, potentially posing a serious risk to downstream settlements.
It urged residents in downstream areas and concerned government agencies to take precautionary measures to prevent possible loss of life and property.
However, the natural blockage gradually receded, reducing the risk of a large-scale disaster similar to the one triggered by the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district in late August.
On August 31, a landslide at Chaurikharka in the Chhekampar area of Chumnubri Rural Municipality in Gorkha district temporarily blocked the Syar Khola, a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki River.
Although there were rumours that the Budhi Gandaki River itself had been blocked, officials at the District Administration Office, Gorkha, later dismissed the reports as false.
Officials confirmed that the Syar Khola had been partially blocked, but the incident did not cause flooding as the water gradually cleared the debris obstructing the stream.
The occurrence of several river and stream blockages within just two weeks has exposed Nepal’s vulnerability to natural disasters, officials say.
Climate change has emerged as a major factor behind the growing risks of landslides and avalanches in Nepal’s mountainous regions, where changing climatic conditions are affecting the fragile geology and environment.
“Our mountains are high, steep and fragile, so our level of risk is also relatively high. The risks associated with climate change are particularly serious in our Himalayan and mountain regions,” said Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, joint secretary and chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
Dhakal said Nepal needs stronger disaster preparedness and greater coordination among federal, provincial and local governments as risks from climate change and natural disasters increase.
He said Nepal’s mountainous terrain, expanding settlements and growing infrastructure development have increased the need for authorities to identify vulnerable areas and take preventive measures before disasters occur.
“Local governments have to be at the frontline of protecting their citizens,” Dhakal said, stressing the need for local authorities to identify risk-prone areas, alert residents and relocate settlements where necessary.
He also called for greater coordination among government agencies, saying climate-related disaster risks cannot be addressed by a single ministry or level of government.
–IANS
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