KATHMANDU, JULY 20
Landslides and floods triggered by heavy rainfall last week have left one of the country's popular tourist destinations in the lurch after the entire truss and suspension bridges connecting the climbers' valley collapsed in the natural disaster.
Locals of Rolwaling Valley of Dolakha district are facing impending severe food crisis as their settlements were disconnected with the neighbouring villages due to landslides and floods, said Pasang Kidar Sherpa, an International Mountain Guide from Rolwaling Valley.
The popular trekking trail to Rolwaling has also been affected after landslides hit Beding and Na Gaun of the valley, Sherpa said. Rolwaling, often termed as the climbers' valley, has now started facing shortage of daily commodities, he added.
Property worth over Rs 50 million has been damaged in the disaster, said Ngima Geli Sherpa, ward chair of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality. "Flood at Rolwaling River had swept away three hotels while hotelier Jangmu Sherpa also went missing in the flood," the Chairman shared.
Residents of the upper belt of the valley can't cross local rivers unless the truss bridges are restored. "It takes a huge amount and time to place bridges in the local rivers," Ngima Geli said, adding that some of the bridges were built with support from foreign donors including, the Swiss government.
According to him, locals of the valley rely on food supplies from the district headquarters or from Kathmandu. "It's now impossible for them to get out of their villages as the trails were disconnected by the flooded rivers," he added.
Tsho Rolpa Lake is also posing threat to local settlements, according to Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, a 16-time Everest summiteer from the Rolwaling valley. "More than 100 families from the climbers' valley are now facing crisis after more than six truss bridges have collapsed in the floods and landslides," Sherpa said. On June 22, the Dorji Phungmo Glacial Lake burst causing massive flood in the Rolwaling River washed away small houses including hotels at Dogang.
According to Pasang Kidar, children, women and senior citizens have been worse affected due to lack of medicine and nutritious food. "Some of the tourists who were stranded in Na due to a massive landslide between Na and Beding, were evacuated by an army chopper but there has been no supply of food and medicine till date," another IFMGA guide Pema Chhiri Sherpa said.
There is urgent need to supply food and restore the bridges along the local rivers to save the life of hundreds of locals in the valley which has over 60 Everest climbers, said ward chairman Ngima Geli. "The rural municipality is now coordinating with the federal government to expedite relief and reconstruction efforts," he said.
