What the Budhi Gandaki Flash Flood Means for Residents in Central Nepal

Residents along the Budhi Gandaki river in north central Nepal fled to safer ground on Sunday after a flash flood destroyed houses and other structures, according to ABC News. No casualties had been reported immediately after the flooding.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority evacuated villagers and told others in the area to move away from the river. The agency kept the area on alert until late Sunday and is still trying to determine what caused the surge.

What this means for people in the affected area

For those living beside the river, the immediate consequence was displacement. Officials urged people to leave low-lying areas, and ABC News reported that the warning led to an evacuation in Arughat, a riverside town on the highway linking Kathmandu with other parts of the country.

It was not yet clear how many of the small villages in the mountainous area were hit. Videos shared on social media show houses and sheds being carried off by the swollen river as it runs between steep mountains. ABC News noted that the extent of the damage had not been confirmed.

The Budhi Gandaki merges into the Trishuli river, which ABC News described as a key waterway near Kathmandu. The authority has not said whether the flooding will affect other communities downstream, and the cause remains under investigation.

A country still recovering from an August flood

The new flooding comes while Nepal is still dealing with a far deadlier disaster. According to ABC News, a flood in August along the mountainous border between Nepal and China left more than 1,400 people dead and thousands more missing.

The office of Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced an end to search and rescue work for further victims of that flood. Authorities are now focusing on recovery, including restoring roads and bridges that the floods cut off. The effort is aimed especially at remote areas, where damaged infrastructure has made it hard to deliver aid.

The scale of the rebuilding effort

ABC News reported these figures in connection with the recovery work:

• The government estimates that rebuilding will cost $4.77 billion.
• Nearly 33,000 people have been affected.
• About 7,500 homes were damaged or destroyed.

These numbers predate Sunday's flash flood, and no estimate of its damage has been released.

What to watch next

The disaster management authority has said it is working to establish what triggered the flash flood on the Budhi Gandaki. The agency has also told residents to stay alert, and updated information on the number of villages affected and any casualties is expected as the assessment continues. For those who fled, the practical questions are when it will be safe to return and what remains of their homes. Officials have not yet answered either.

The new flooding also adds to the strain on a recovery effort that was already focused on rebuilding roads and bridges and getting aid to remote communities. The highway through Arughat is a main route linking Kathmandu with other parts of the country, and ABC News did not report whether the flooding has disrupted traffic along it.

Source: ABC News