Biratnagar, August 8:

Swollen rivers have swept away 800 bigha of paddy fields in Sunsari, Saptari, Solukhumbu, Khotang and Udaypur districts in the eastern region.

Paddy fields were swamped by floods triggered by heavy downpour, which has been lashing the district for a few days, said Dinesh Ray, acting director at the Eastern Regional Agriculture

Directorate (ERAD).

The floods swept away 200 bigha of land in Saptari, 270 in Tapeshwori, Beltar, Basaha, Sundarpur and Hadiya in Udaypur, over 225 in Sunsari and 175 bigha of land in Sol-ukhumbu and Khotang districts, the Eastern Regional Agriculture Directorate said.

“With flooded rivers wreaking havoc, authorities concerned have been directed to build embankments along the rivers,” Ray said.

While torrential rainfall has been wreaking havoc in places, farmers in parts of Siraha and Saptari districts have not been able to plant paddy due to insufficient rainfall.

According recent data of ERAD, paddy had been planted in 10 per cent of paddy fields in Siraha, 50 per cent in Saptari, 80 per cent in Terahathum, 70 per cent in Dhankuta, 75 per cent in Ilam and 90 per cent of paddy fields in Panchathar, Jhapa, Morang and Sankhuwasabha districts.

Overall, paddy had been planted in 80 per cent of fields in the eastern region, ERAD said.

10 families displaced

BAGLUNG: Landslide caused by torrential rainfall buried two houses at Dobilla in Binhu of Baglung district on Friday. The landslide has also displaced 10 families of Binhu. Two houses of Min Bahadur GC and Tara Prasad Gautam were buried, but there were no human casualties. The landslide also disrupted vehicular movement on rural roads leading to Binhu, Lekhani and Race of the district. The displaced are putting up at their neighbours’ houses.

The landslide has also buried the building of Janapriya lower secondary school at Bhimapokhari. It also caused damaged the building of Janakalyan secondary school.

A landslide has put two household in Damek village development committee-1 Tapu of Baglung in peril.

Meanwhile, flooding in Lopra stream along the Beni-Muktinath road in Mustang district has affected pilgrims and tourists. As there is no suspension over the stream, people are wading through the stream. Tourists and pilgrims often get injured while crossing the river, said chief district officer Pradip Raj Kandel. — HNS