Rain-induced disasters rise in Nepal, survivors in rural parts left in lurch

Cut off from the outside world since last week after roads and electricity infrastructure were swept away locals in Panauti Municipality Nepals Kavrepalanchowk face a bleak future Most houses have been toppled by the gushing waters of the Roshi River which continues to roarThe death toll from the raininduced disaster which began last Saturday has risen to 241 with 29 still missing according to the Armed Police Force APFWe couldnt harvest the paddy even though it had ripened We have been forced out of our homes Those whose houses and fields remain intact dont have to worry about aid but those who have lost their main source of food and shelter must rely on donors to survive These people need support considering their circumstances said Parbati KC a displaced resident of Bhumidanda in Kavrepalanchowk District speaking to ANIHeavy rainfall since September 26 caused widespread floods and landslides which swept through Parbatis paddy field and inundated her house forcing her family to flee for their lives She has since returned to her home salvaging what she can from the debrisNot everyone has been as fortunate as Parbati About 5 km from Bhumidanda Sarita Dahal of Chhaptole has lost everythingI lost two buffaloes two cows eight hegoats and seven goats All were swept away by the floods Everything in the house was also washed away except for the clothes we were wearing that night Now we have nothing left to lose theres nothing more we can bear Dahal shared her grief with ANIWe havent received any relief support yet she addedThe Roshi River burst its banks in the last week of September after torrential rains causing the disaster that claimed at least 20 lives in Panauti alone Over 500 houses were completely destroyed with 713 partially damagedThe disaster also claimed more than 2000 livestock and hundreds of acres of land ready for harvest were wiped out Paddy fields have now turned into barren land filled with boulders and stonesWhere paddy maize and potatoes were once cultivated the river has now burst its banks and toppled houses said Rupak Shrestha a displaced resident of Bhumidanda while looking over what was once his favourite place to take photographsThe disaster which hit just before the Dashain festival has displaced hundreds of families from their ancestral homesWe are now sheltering on higher ground as our homes are unsafe Most families have migrated because they have nowhere to live Their homes food and even cattle have all been swept away Shrestha addedPanauti an ancient city in Nepal lies about 33km from the capital Kathmandu but has been largely ignored by the central governmentNepals weather forecasting division issued a red alert for 56 of the countrys 77 districts earlier last week following the activation of monsoon winds influenced by water vapour from the Bay of Bengal and a lowpressure systemLocals living along the Roshi River believe the disaster is the result of both climate change and haphazard stone mining from the nearby hillsThe elders in the village say theyve never seen such extreme weather before In 1981 there was heavy rainfall for three hours in the morning but it receded by the afternoon This time the rain lasted much longer and caused devastation said Laxmi Khatri another displaced resident speaking to ANIThe stone mine uphill contributed to this disaster The gravel collected there along with the forest was washed away destroying our properties Khatri addedAccording to the hydrology departments readings on September 28 three weather stations in Kavrepalanchowk recorded recordhigh rainfall Khopasi weather station recorded 3316mm Panchkhal recorded 2325mm and Dhulikhel recorded 2246mm of rainOn the same day 22 other weather stations across Nepal also recorded record rainfall despite earlier projections that the country would receive aboveaverage rainfall this yearThe 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 said Jayram KC Chairman of Panauti Municipality Ward 12Both entry points to the ward were blocked by landslides making movement within the ward impossible We prioritised rescuing the injured and managing the dead From today Tuesday we are focusing on distributing relief materials KC addedNepal home to nine of the worlds ten highest peaks had already anticipated aboveaverage rainfall this year with 18 million people expected to be affected The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority NDRRMA estimated that 412000 households would be impacted by monsoonrelated disastersThe monsoon season in Nepal typically begins on June 13 with its end date traditionally being September 23 However this year the monsoon has been extended into late October The clouds from the south entered Nepal from the western region on June 10 three days ahead of the usual onset Last year the phenomenon began on June 14 a day after the usual start dateThe monsoon which delivers around 80 per cent of Nepals annual rainfall generally lasts for 105 days However in recent years the withdrawal has taken longer This season Nepal has already recorded aboveaverage rainfallAccording to the Meteorological Office the country had received 15863mm of rainfall as of Friday morning 72 per cent above the average monsoon totalTypically Nepal receives an average of 1472 mm of rain during the four months of June July August and September Last year the country recorded only 1303mm 885 per cent of the averageThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever