Kathmandu – Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains, which arrived in the second week of July, have damaged property worth over a billion rupees in various districts across the country.
Around 67 districts were affected by the floods and landslides. According to statistics released by National Emergency Operation Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs until July 28, the floods and landslides related incidents destroyed the property worth Rs 1.07 billion and killed seventeen people. The disaster affected 38 families, while 135 families were partially affected and 15 houses were completely damaged in the disaster. Likewise, the disaster killed 61 livestock and damaged 48 animal sheds.
This year, the disaster wreaked havoc not only in Terai but also in the hills. Huge landslides occurred in the hilly region. The problem of landslides has increased in the hilly regions because of rampant use of bulldozers in the name of development. There are growing incidents of heavy precipitation as a result of what scientists refer to as climate change, thus causing massive damage to a specific area. The massive rainfall and the subsequent landslides witnessed by a village in Gulmi district can be taken as an example.
How much damage from floods?
National Emergency Operation Centre said 61 people died in the flooding and around 700 families were affected. Ninety-six houses were partially damaged and 13 houses were fully destroyed. A dozen animal sheds were damaged and eight livestock were killed. The disaster caused an estimated damage worth Rs 1.02 billion.
Damage caused by landslides
According to the data released by the centre, forty-seven people died in landslides and 223 families were affected. 77 houses were completely damaged and 17 houses were partially damaged. 43 livestock were killed and 30 animal shed were destroyed by the disaster. The landslides have destroyed property worth 39.47 million.
Likewise, nine people were killed and 64 families were affected as a result of heavy rains. According to the centre, 17 houses were partially and 25 houses were completely damaged following the rainfall. Ten livestock were killed as the rains damaged six sheds. Property worth rupees 8.9 million was destroyed by the heavy rains. But the centre has not made public the exact details of the destruction that happened after July 28. However, the floods and landslides haven’t stopped.
Even though the floods and landslides have been occurring every year, the plan to form Disaster Response Authority to make the disaster response works such as rescue and relief distributions more effective has not materialized. Besides, no effort has been made to resolve the problem of inundation in Nepali territory due to the infrastructures built at Nepal-India border.
Likewise, the government bodies haven’t taken any concrete measure to move to safer locations to the human settlements that are facing the risks of floods and landslides. Though the issue is discussed during Monsoon season, it is put on the back burner until another rainy season.
