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

2 Mar 2018 Voices from the field

Unlocking the Potential of Transboundary Tourism in the Kanchenjunga Landscape

The Kanchenjunga landscape of Nepal lies on the southern side of the Kanchenjunga mountain and shares a border with India. ...

18 Apr 2017 Voices from the field

Working towards red panda habitat conservation and the reduction of carbon emission in Ilam and Panchthar

The growing size of the human population in this transboundary area has increased demand for agricultural land, fuel and infrastructure ...

12 Jan 2018 Voices from the field

Integrated Farming System key to Sound Economy and Protected Natural Ecosystems

The story of Prithivi Maden’s life rings true to this statement. Aged 49 and hailing from Phungling Municipality, Ward 1, ...

11 Oct 2017 Voices from the field

Cross-Country Learning: Myanmar Delegates Visit Sustainably and Scientifically Managed Forests in Nepal

For over six years, scientific approaches have guided sustainable forest management in Nepal. Kapilvastu and Nawalparasi are two of 40 ...

20 Feb 2017 Voices from the field

REDD+ in Dolakha, Nepal: Making a Community Economically Independent

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) has finished testing a mechanism that provides financial incentives to locals ...

29 Aug 2016 Voices from the field

Caught amidst a flash flood in Bahrabise

By the mid-monsoon, flash floods of Bhote Koshi had already swept away more than 65 houses and placed 200 more ...

6 Jan 2017 Voices from the field

Department of Agriculture Nepal Mission Acknowledges Himalica’s Pilot Work in Taplejung

A high level delegation led by Narahari Ghimire, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture of the Government of Nepal, has appreciated ...

15 Jun 2017 Voices from the field

Gender and Governance Perspectives in Theory and Practice

The German writer and ...

Photo Story: Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sindhupalchowk

Stay current

Continue exploring this topic