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

19 Jan 2017 Voices from the field

Exposure visit to India to learn about Climate Smart Agricultural and Marketing practices

A team of eight people from Nepal supported by ICIMOD’s Himalica programme and HICAP visited Haryana and Delhi in India from 5-10 December 2016 ...

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 ...

21 Feb 2018 Voices from the field

Potential community-based REDD+ interventions for Phekung Village, Myanmar

The regional REDD+ Himalaya Initiative of ICIMOD has been looking for opportunities to introduce sustainable forest management in the Hindu ...

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 ...

24 May 2017 Voices from the field

Women in Community Forestry

Dolakha district is home to 422 community forestry user groups (CFUGs) and a majority of its forested area is comprised ...

6 Oct 2016 Voices from the field

Jholmal – A chemical-free solution for farmers in Kavre

'People still act surprised when we tell them that bio-pesticides can be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides’, Sumita ...

28 Nov 2016 Voices from the field

Entrepreneurship and Business Plan Development Training

Entrepreneurship development programmes aim to enhance the capacity and willingness of business people to develop, organize, and manage their business ...

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 ...

Photo Story: Monsoon Wreaks Havoc in Sindhupalchowk

Stay current

Continue exploring this topic