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

1 Mar 2017 Voices from the field

Animal urine proves instrumental in aiding biogas production

An active member of an all-women farmers’ group, the Shree Shramjivi Mahila Krisak Samuha, Timalsina has been participating in group ...

6 Apr 2016 Voices from the field

Voices from Kailash Sacred Landscape

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Kailash Sacred Land-scape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLCDI) would like to introduce ...

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. ...

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 ...

13 Oct 2017 Voices from the field

Cross-Border Exchange: Community Forestry Management Systems in Nepal Inspire Community Leaders in Myanmar

“I have been dreaming of implementing community forestry practices in forests around my village for a long time. I just ...

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 ...

30 Jun 2017 Voices from the field

REDD+ in Chitwan: Finding balance for biodiversity protection in national parks

The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has been working in Nepal since 1982. For over two decades, the autonomous ...

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, ...

Photo Story: Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sindhupalchowk

Stay current

Continue exploring this topic