Floods in Nepal’s Kavrepalanchowk: 241 Dead, Hundreds Displaced

In Panauti Municipality, Nepal’s Kavrepalanchowk, locals have been cut off from the outside world after roads and electricity infrastructure were destroyed by floods. The Roshi River’s gushing waters have toppled most houses, and the death toll has risen to 241, with 29 still missing, according to the Armed Police Force (APF).

Parbati KC, a displaced resident, shared, “We couldn’t harvest the paddy even though it had ripened. We have been forced out of our homes. Those whose houses and fields remain intact don’t have to worry about aid, but those who have lost their main source of food and shelter must rely on donors to survive.”

Heavy rainfall since September 26 caused widespread floods and landslides, sweeping through Parbati’s paddy field and inundating her house. Sarita Dahal of Chhaptole lost all her livestock and belongings to the floods. “I lost two buffaloes, two cows, eight he-goats, and seven goats. Everything in the house was also washed away, except for the clothes we were wearing that night,” she said.

The Roshi River burst its banks in late September, causing the disaster that claimed at least 20 lives in Panauti alone. Over 500 houses were completely destroyed, with 713 partially damaged. The disaster also claimed more than 2,000 livestock, and hundreds of acres of land ready for harvest were wiped out.

Rupak Shrestha, another displaced resident, said, “Where paddy, maize, and potatoes were once cultivated, the river has now burst its banks and toppled houses.” The disaster, which hit just before the Dashain festival, has displaced hundreds of families from their ancestral homes.

Panauti, an ancient city in Nepal, lies about 33km from the capital, Kathmandu, but has been largely ignored by the central government. Nepal’s weather forecasting division issued a “red alert” for 56 of the country’s 77 districts earlier last week, following the activation of monsoon winds influenced by water vapour from the Bay of Bengal and a low-pressure system.

Locals believe the disaster is the result of both climate change and haphazard stone mining from the nearby hills. Laxmi Khatri, another displaced resident, said, “The elders in the village say they’ve never seen such extreme weather before. The stone mine uphill contributed to this disaster.”

According to the hydrology department’s readings on September 28, three weather stations in Kavrepalanchowk recorded record-high rainfall. Khopasi weather station recorded 331.6mm, Panchkhal recorded 232.5mm, and Dhulikhel recorded 224.6mm of rain. On the same day, 22 other weather stations across Nepal also recorded record rainfall.

Jayram KC, Chairman of Panauti Municipality Ward 12, said, “The stone mines can also be considered a factor in the disaster. Climate change plays a role in these incidents. Heavy rain and overflowing springs in the forest have been the primary causes.”

Nepal, home to nine of the world’s ten highest peaks, had already anticipated above-average rainfall this year, with 1.8 million people expected to be affected. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) estimated that 412,000 households would be impacted by monsoon-related disasters.