KMC launches 24-hour hotline for disaster and epidemic management Body discovered beneath Balkhu bridge
KATHMANDU, JULY 31
Due to the heavy downpour that occurred on Tuesday night, reports of damage have been received from various parts of Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, and officials have stated that small and heavy rains are expected in various parts of the country over the next 24 hours.
On Wednesday, within 12 hours of Kathmandu, 127 mm of rain fell in Sindhupalchok district. Budhanilkanth received 74 mm of rain, Sundarijal 61 mm, Babarmahal 62 mm, and Kirtipur 65 mm.
Rainfall between 50 mm and 100 mm in a 24-hour period is considered 'heavy rain', while rain exceeding 100 mm is considered 'excessive'.
Bagmati, Bishnumati, Hanumante, Dhobikhola, Nakku, and Balkhu rivers, among others, flooded various parts of the Kathmandu Valley on Tuesday night, disrupting people's life.
Many settlements, roads, hotels, and schools along the riverbank were submerged due to last night's flood. Several people are seen attempting to remove water from flooded rooms.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, heavy rain fell across the country, particularly in many areas of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces, while the other two provinces experienced light rainfall.
The weather will remain generally cloudy across the country for the next 24 hours, with light to moderate rain, thunder, and lightning expected in some areas of all provinces. Some places in Koshi, Lumbini, and Karnali provinces, as well as one or two places in Bagmati and Gandaki, are likely to receive heavy to excessive rain with thunder and lightning.
According to the department, several parts of Bagmati and Madhes provinces, as well as some other provinces, are currently receiving light to moderate rain. Meanwhile, the dead body of a man was found under the bridge in Balkhu, Kathmandu, on Wednesday morning.
According to the Metropolitan Police Kalimati Circle, the body of 45-year-old Ram Swarup Mahato was discovered in a washed-away state beneath the Balkhu bridge on Wednesday morning. As a permanent resident of Banke, Lumbini, he was currently living in a squatter's settlement near the Balkhu riverbank.
The body was sent to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for a postmortem. The relatives of the deceased have come in contact with the police.
The floods caused by Tuesday night's rainfall have submerged various parts of the Kathmandu Valley.
The Armed Police Force (APF) rescued 15 people who were trapped by rain in the Radhaswami area of Sundari Ghat, Kirtipur Municipality.
According to the Armed Police Force's (APF) Co-Spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shailendra Thapa, all of them were safely evacuated following the rescue. They were rescued with the help of a tube and rope.
Similarly, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office has established a 24-hour hotline for disaster risk and epidemic management, such as dengue and cholera.
KMC has urged citizens to dial 1180 immediately if they suspect they have dengue and need advice. The service, which was previously only available during office hours, will now be available 24/7.
The services will be provided in collaboration with the Department of Health Services and the City Police. They will collaborate to manage and resolve inundation, floods, and waterborne diseases caused by the heavy rainfall.
In response to the increased risk of cholera and dengue transmission caused by ongoing rainfall, the local government has established a free hotline, 1180, which provides counselling services to educate and assist citizens about dengue.
The local government has issued a warning about the increased risk of water-borne infection as the rains continue.
The flood that occurred in various rivers in the Kathmandu Valley after heavy rain last night has disrupted life in the capital city.
Dan Bahadur Karki, Nepal Police Spokesperson, stated that 12 people from Kathmandu district and 24 from Lalitpur district were rescued from flood-related disasters in the city.
Karki confirmed that 11 people from the Balkhu and Kuleshwor areas, as well as one from the Naya Buspark area, were rescued.
The city's riverbank areas, including Balkhu, Bafal, the Dhobikhola corridor, the Sundarighat area, and others, were inundated.
A house was also damaged in a landslide at Nagpokhari in the Phutung area.
In addition, 24 people, including two from UN Park, eight from Sundari Ghat, one from Balkumari, seven from Chagathali, and six from the Mahalaxmi Ram Mandir area, were rescued in Lalitpur district.
