Incessant rain hits life nationwide

Biratnagar, September 24:

Life in eastern Nepal is paralysed since a week due to incessant rainfall and winds. People in this region are already feeling the chill in the weather. Flights to Bhojpur, Tumlingtar, Phaplu and Lamidanda airports were also cancelled today, said the Biratnagar airport officials.

Owing to incessant rainfall roads in Biratnagar, Dharan, Itahari, Damak, Urlabari, Birtamod, Kakarvitta, among other places are mudlogged. Shopping for Dashain as well as day-to-day buying in locals and main markets have also been affected.

Ratuwa river, among others of Jhapa; Mawa, Sunjhoda and Gachhiya rivers of Morang, among other rivers, are flooded.

Meanwhile, the Morang District Agricultural Development Office (DADO) said that paddy production will lessen this year as delayed rains affected the paddy plantation. “As winds swept away the paddy flowers the yield will be less this time,” said an official Rajendra Uprety, in the DADO.

Paddy was planted in 75,000 hectares of the 86,000 ha of arable land, he said. It is estimated that the paddy yiled will be around 250,000 metric tonnes.

Meanwhile, a report from Dhading said incessant rainfall since this morning has made life difficult in Dhading. Rural folk and government employees, who reached the district headquarters, are stuck there.

Traffic on the Dhading-Salyantar road section in northern Dhading has come to a halt due to rainfall for the past four days, said a transport entrepreneur Saroj Rijal.

Rural people have been prevented from shopping for their Dashain due to the roadblock, said businessmen in Dhadingbesi.