Kavre, July 30

Citing incessant rainfall and the possibility of a lake burst at the source of the Bhotekoshi River in Tibet, the administration in Sindhupalchowk has urged people living along the banks of the river to remain on high alert.

“Though we have learnt informally from Chinese officials about the decreasing water level in the Kerung Chhyo glacial lake that is at risk of a burst, as rainfall continues there we must be cautious,” said Chief District Officer Umesh Kumar Dhakal.

According to Dhakal, the District Disaster Management Committee Command Post has started to alert people along the banks of the Bhotekoshi River since last evening.

Earlier this month also, such alert warnings were issued by the administrations of Sinchupalchowk and Kavre to people living on the banks of the Bhotekoshi and Sunkoshi rivers, citing the threat of a possible burst of Kerung Chhyo Lake in Nyalam region of Tibet and the risk of downstream flooding in the rivers.

Such a disaster will cause huge damage to life and property in places such as Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality, Bahrabise Municipality, Sunkoshi Rural Municipality, Balefi Rural Municipality and Chautara Sangachowkgadi Municipality in Sindhupalchowk.

Similarly, a number of places on the banks of the Sunkoshi River in Kavre are also said to be at the receiving end of huge flooding in the event of a lake burst in Tibet. In Kavre too, in view of the risk, people on the Sunkoshi riverfronts have been told to stay alert.

The lake in Tibet is about 45 kilometres from Tatopani entry point. “Realising the risk, we’ve alerted people.

They don’t have to panic because even if the lake bursts, we will learn about it before the floods reach us,” said CDO Dhakal.

Photo: File

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 31, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.