22 Aug 2016 | Voices from the field

Photo Story: Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sindhupalchowk

1 min Read

After the 5 July Bhotekoshi flood in Sindhupalchowk, a team from the HYCOS Initiative of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) visited Barahbise and talked with several people living and working along the Arnico Highway.

Some twenty truckloads of stone was dumped to reinforce Bahrabise bridge’s supporting pillar.

Rajesh Thapa, operator at the Sunkoshi Hydropower Station, received flood alert calls from friends and was able to raise all six bridge gates to release the flood waters unimpeded.

Floodwater dumped stones and boulders at the mouth of the gates, leaving one gate with minor damage.

Debris blocks the flow of water into the diversion intake canals. The 10-MW Sunkoshi Hydropower Stations is currently non-operational.

Recent flooding deposited a large amount of sand in an artificial lake created by the 2014 Jure landslide which blocked the Sunkoshi river. This phenomenon is known as ‘sand casting’.

A cloudburst washes away parts of the Jure road making it impassable until a bulldozer was dispatched by the Department of Roads.

A heavier monsoon means a greater flood risk to downstream communities.

One of many residents of Khadichaur who fled floodwaters that fateful night, Mane Majhi. Like many residents, Majhi was separated in the dark from his father who later returned with a t-shirt full of washed-up fish.

Locals from Ramche VDC worry rain and road construction could trigger landslides and rockfalls.

Mandira Shrestha, HYCOS/ICIMOD Programme Coordinator said what happens upstream in China can have severe consequences downstream in Nepal. Dr Shrestha emphasised the need for transboundary cooperation in terms of flood data sharing and setting up of flood early warning systems, not to mention landslide hazard mapping and mitigation.

Continue exploring this topic

22 Feb 2017 Voices from the field

Hands on Training on Contour Hedgerow Agroforestry Practices to Farmers and District Agricultural Office Staff from Argakhanchi

ICIMOD Knowledge Park provided 3 days hands on training to farmers and District Agriculture Office staff from Argakhanchi district which ...

23 Aug 2016 Voices from the field

He said, she said: Tree species perceived differently by men and women

Forests are a lifeline for men and women in rural areas. They provide timber for building homes and sheds, wood ...

6 Oct 2017 Voices from the field

Turmeric Farming, a Viable Income Source for Forest-Dependent Farmers in Mizoram, India

In the state of Mizoram in India, an acre of land is capable of producing turmeric worth as much as ...

6 Dec 2017 Voices from the field

Training on shitake mushroom cultivation in Taplejung

There is immense potential for shitake mushroom cultivation in Nepal’s mountainous areas. And there is plenty of raw material available: ...

3 May 2017 Voices from the field

Fostering Entrepreneurship in the Kailash Sacred Landscape

As a student of commerce and management, I have heard the word ‘entrepreneurship’ being thrown around quite frequently. Often, the ...

12 Sep 2016 Voices from the field

Rhino dies after botched poaching attempt

A 12-15 year old rhino who survived more than two weeks after poachers riddled the bull with bullets succumbed to ...

18 Dec 2017 Voices from the field

Building social capital through the migrant returnee network

Migration is an important livelihood strategy for people in Nepal. In four Himalica pilot sites in Udayapur (Bagaha, Murkuchi and ...

18 Nov 2016 Voices from the field

Towards sustainable livelihoods: KSLCDI facilitates training on heritage tourism and sanitation in TAR

Sichuan University, China, with support from ICIMOD’s Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI), and ...

Photo Story: Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sindhupalchowk

Stay current

Continue exploring this topic