Sankhuwasabha: Floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall on June 22 have caused significant damage to hydropower projects under construction, roads, and local infrastructure in Makalu Rural Municipality.
According to the District Police Office, Sankhuwasabha, flooding inundated the dam site area of the 45 MW Kasuwa Khola Hydropower Project, currently under construction in Makalu Rural Municipality-2, causing extensive damage.
Police Inspector Dhan Bahadur Rajbanshi, information officer at the district police office, said that the flood swept away equipment and construction materials being used for the project.
Deepak Mahato, manager of the construction company Mountain Infra Company Limited, said that the flood washed away a loader, a concrete mixer machine, a concrete pump machine, 60 tonnes of steel rods, and 500 bags of cement. The incident has directly affected the project’s construction activities.
Similarly, the Isuwa Hydropower Project has also sustained damage from floods and landslides. Transportation has been disrupted after landslides occurred at several points along a nearly two-kilometre stretch of the road connecting Satang to the dam site.
The landslides swept away two pipes with a diameter of 100 millimetres belonging to the project, while around 200 metres of installed pipeline was also damaged.
Local settlements have also been affected by the natural disaster. The houses of Ang Temba Sherpa and Sanu Sherpa in Mayum, Makalu Rural Municipality-1, are at high risk from landslides. Likewise, Singheshwori Basic School has also been threatened by landslides, police said.
Floodwaters also washed away the suspension bridge over the Isuwa Khola connecting Nurbuchaur and Nurbu villages. In addition, a public water mill and four wooden bridges in Nurbu Khola were swept away, disrupting local movement and transportation.
Furthermore, landslides have damaged hundreds of ropanis of cardamom farms and other cultivable land. Local authorities said that detailed assessments of the damage are underway, while preparations are being made for relief distribution and rehabilitation in the affected areas.
Jalasarokar
