Flood affects 35,000 people in 20 districts of Nepal

Photo by Jai Prakash

Satish Aditya

Motihari : Although the flood situation in Nepal including tarai region in southern part of the country improved slightly on July 16, 2019, after the rain stopped at least for the time being, the meteorological forecasting division says that though the water levels of major rivers like Bagmati, Lalbakeya, Saptkoshi, Trishuli  is coming down slowly the rainfall will continue at many places in the the country. It has asked the people remain alert. Over 100 villages in Rautahat, Bara, Mahottari, Dhanusha, and Parsa  districts of tarai region remain inaccessible.

According to Nepal Home Ministry bulletin, the flood has affected 35,000 people in 20 districts. The death toll due to the unprecedented rain and flood including landslides has increased to 67 while 33 people were missing and 55 other sustained injuries. Nepal army, police  and Armed police force have been deployed in flood hit tarai districts  to carry out rescue and relief work by choppers.

Flood water is yet recede from villages in Mahottari and Dhanusha districts and majority of rural roads have been washed away. More than 200  families are spending nights on the banks of river Bagmati river near Barharwa village in Rautahat district for the past 5 days. These  flood affected people belong to Barharwa village where out of 400 houses  350 houses were washed away by flash flood recently. Lalmatiya Devi, Sarsatiya Koiri  and others said in chorus  that they were going without water, food  and other necessary items  and facing threat of snakes.

In Bara district,  the rain water and flood  had inundated more than 149 villages  and 120 families of Jitpur market were  evacuated by police and taken to safer place. Biso Singh of Jitpur said they have lost every thing. Crops have been damaged  and rivers Bakeyakhola and Pasah Khola have swept away 4000 MT of fish from different fish ponds. More than 50 houses were swept away in Rautahat district after breach in Bagmati embankment  near Gaur on July 12 night. The flood affected 2,000 families  in Saptari following breach in right embankment of the river. In Dhanusha district, flood unleashed  furry  in  Janakpur dham town besides inundating 148 villages. Janakpur town is still under knee deep water. The flood swept away an under-construction road bridge to connect Bateshar to Janakpur.