Rautahat, August 11

Incessant rainfall for the past two days have damaged more than two dozen houses in different rural municipalities of Rautahat.

Likewise, rising water levels in the Bagmati and Lalbakaiya rivers have left people living on the banks of the rivers terrified. The monsoon rains have damaged at least four houses at Paroh Rural Municipality, seven at Durga Rural Municipality, eight at Madhav Narayan Rural Municipality, five at Gadhimai Rural Municipality, 10 at Ishnath Rural Municipality and six at Baudhimai Rural Municipality.

DSP Nabin Krishna Bhandari of District Police Office, Rautahat, said his office had directed all police units across the district to collect details of the damage. He said he had also asked locals living on the river banks to remain alert.

Shyam Chandra Jha, a local leader of Nepali Congress from Matsari, said houses had started collapsing in many villages, including Matsari, Pachrukhi, Bairiya. He said the villages lacked drainage system. “Unless drains are constructed, the problem will always remain,” Jha added.

Rautahat Chief District Officer Uddab Bahadur Thapa said the District Administration Office was prepared to respond to any emergency arising from rising water levels in the Lalbakaiya and Bagmati rivers. “Divers of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army are on standby to deal with any eventuality,” he said.

Likewise, more than 300 houses have been inundated and hundreds of other houses are at risk of collapse due to incessant rainfall over the past two days in Jhapa.

As per Disaster Management Department of Nepal Red Cross Society, the Jhapa chapter, five families have been displaced due to flood in the local Kankai River at Pindaghutu of Gaurigunj Rural Municipality. The victims are taking shelter at local Aamgachhi Primary School.

Four other families of Mothergachh in Jhapa Rural Municipality–7 have been displaced due to floods in the river.

Similarly, 150 houses at Prithvinagar of Bhadrapur Municipality and 130 houses at Bhaisawadi have been inundated after floodwaters from the Mechi River gushed into human settlements in the district. Likewise, 60 houses of Rangiyasthan are at high risk of erosion due to flood in the Kankai River. Also, 45 other houses are at high risk of erosion due to flood in the Ninda River.