Nepal flood victims return back home as water continues to recede
Vehicular movements have resumed and business activity is gradually normalizing in the southern plains of Nepal as floodwaters continue to recede following the torrential rains that wreaked havoc over the past weekend, reports 24brussels. Residents are now returning home to replace damaged belongings.
The heavy rainfall over two days caused significant damage and disruption, with many areas experiencing destroyed road connectivity and inundated homes. Brahmdev Yadav, a local from Janakpur, emphasized, “The rainfall which continuously battered the nation for two days resulted in extensive damage and loss of property, but now the condition is slowly returning to normalcy with the water level receding.”
The recent monsoon storms notably impacted the Bagmati, Madhesh, and Koshi provinces, leading to a nationwide death toll of 61 due to water-related disasters as of Tuesday evening. The severe weather commenced on October 3, with data from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) indicating that certain regions of Nepal suffered particularly intense rainfall.
While the total rainfall this year was slightly lower than last, the impact was exacerbated by localized downpours. The central-eastern Terai plains and eastern hills experienced the worst of the conditions, with weather stations in Rautahat and Ilam recording over 330 mm and 300 mm of rain, respectively, during the storm.
Rain is classified as extremely heavy when it exceeds 150 mm in a 24-hour period; however, certain districts received just above 145 mm last Sunday, compared to approximately 240 mm during a devastating late September storm in the previous year, which claimed more than 200 lives.
“All the settlements have been damaged. People struggled to save their children and arrange food for survival. No word can suffice the ordeal that people are facing now. People are struggling really hard. Life has been severely hampered, sections of roads have been swept away, bridges washed out, and houses collapsed. People don’t have any idea about where to start and what to do next,” recounted Ram Kailash Thakur, another resident of Janakpur.
This monsoon season was initially anticipated to bring above-average rainfall, but the situation has evolved. Normally, the monsoon season in Nepal lasts from June to late September; however, uncharacteristic rains have persisted into the usual withdrawal period.
In light of these conditions, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) projected that around 1.997 million people from 457,145 households could be affected by monsoon-related disasters. The most impacted areas are expected to be in Lumbini province, anticipating that 523,656 people from 119,830 households will be affected, followed by Bagmati with 327,376 individuals from 74,914 households, and others in regions such as Gandaki, Koshi, and Madhesh.
