Koto and Chame villages in Manang at high risk of landslide

Manang : The Koto and Chame villages in Manang district are at very high risk of landslide following erosion by Marsyangdi River of land below these settlements.

The Chame-Besisahar Road has sunk after the River swept away the land adjoining the road. The Chame and Koto folks are constantly living in fear due to the landslide measuring 289 metres in breadth which occurred recently.

The river has been sweeping away the land and the landslide continues to occur, leaving the locals here in the state of helplessness.

They have knocked the door of the local authority while the local authority was also effortful to curb the erosion in the riverside.

Towards that end, as Chief District Officer Harihar Prasad Panta said, wire and stones have been arranged in support of the District Disaster Management Committee, local authority and Rural Municipality.

CDO Panta said, “Since the landslide continues to occur, works to curb the sweeping of the land has been facing problems. Although vehicles have been plying the caved-in road that is temporarily in operation in facilitation of the officials from the District Technical Office, Nepal Police and Nepal Army but the road could further cave in any time.”

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Khadka Bahadur Khatri, the vehicular movement disrupted in the caved-in section of the road has resumed in escorting of the police.

He said that if the river continues to sweep away land like this, it will likely also sweep away the whole village.

Local Pasang Bista shared that the river has been eroding the land since the landslide swept away big trees and soil.

Pressing for timely action against the current scenario, he warned that the villages here could turn into a river bank given the extent of land erosion caused by the river. RSS