Greetings from Kathmandu!
Torrential rainfall that began on Oct 3 has wreaked havoc across central Nepal and parts of the Madhes Province, triggering widespread landslides, floods, and infrastructural damage. With major highways blocked, the capital city of Kathmandu has been effectively cut off from the rest of the country. The Nepal government has imposed a ban on vehicular movement to and from Kathmandu, citing public safety concerns.
In response to the crisis, the government has declared public holidays for Sunday and Monday (Oct 5 and 6) to ease pressure on emergency services and reduce public mobility. Domestic flights have been grounded due to poor visibility, while many international flights have been diverted.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the Tarai region has experienced severe downpours. Birgunj recorded 143 mm of rain in the past 12 hours, followed closely by Bara (140.4 mm), Gaur in Rautahat (129 mm), and Maheshpur in Rautahat (124 mm). The continuous rainfall is expected to persist at least until Oct 5.
Hundreds of people returning to Kathmandu after celebrating the Dashain festival are now stranded along highways, unable to move forward due to blocked roads. The government has directed Chief District Officers to arrange food and shelter for those stuck in transit. Residents living along the flood-prone banks of rivers in the Kathmandu Valley have been evacuated and moved to nearby schools, which have been converted into temporary shelters.
To support rescue operations, the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed private helicopter companies to keep their aircraft on standby. Encouragingly, several private aviation firms have pledged to support rescue missions free of cost. Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal reiterated that the government's top priority is the protection of human lives.
Prime Minister Sushila Karki issued a video message to assure the public that the government has mobilized all available resources to manage the disaster. “Our agencies are fully prepared for rescue and relief operations despite adverse natural conditions,” she said. Karki emphasized the importance of a coordinated response and praised the readiness of both governmental and non-governmental actors.
Major political parties including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), and Rastriya Swatantra Party have instructed their party cadres to support rescue and relief efforts at the local level. The CPN-UML has postponed its Secretariat meeting scheduled for October 5 to prioritize disaster response. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has directed its subordinate offices to ensure the continuity of communication services, fearing possible breakdowns due to damaged infrastructure.
In a separate tragic incident, six people died in a jeep accident in Kattike, Kummayak Rural Municipality-3, Pachthar district. The Bolero jeep (Me 1 Ja 3055) was en route to Dharan from Sawa of Mikkakhola Rural Municipality when it veered 300 meters off the road. All six passengers, including the driver, lost their lives. The injured have been transferred to Dharan for medical treatment, said Arun Pokharel, Chief District Officer of Pachthar.
This fresh wave of flooding comes at a time when Nepal is still reeling from the violent GenZ protests of Sept 8–9, which led to the deaths of 76 people and caused extensive damage to both public and private property. The protests—sparked by youth-led demands for government transparency, accountability, and employment reforms—left the nation deeply divided. While the government pledged reform, it is now facing renewed pressure as another national crisis unfolds. The Ministry of Finance has appealed for transparency in relief donations, urging contributors at home and abroad to deposit funds directly into its official account at Rastriya Banijya Bank under the Physical Infrastructure Reconstruction Fund. This move is intended to ensure proper utilization and accountability of financial contributions for both disaster and protest-related recovery.
Nepal’s economy, already under strain due to slow post-covid recovery, ongoing reconstruction efforts, and upcoming election expenditures, is now facing the additional burden of infrastructure repair and emergency relief. Highways damaged during last year’s monsoon have once again been severely impacted, underscoring the vulnerability of Nepal’s transportation and communication infrastructure to extreme weather events. As rescue operations continue and weather forecasts remain grim, the coming days will be critical in determining the extent of the damage and the effectiveness of Nepal’s disaster response systems. The government, political parties, civil society, and private sector are being put to the test—not just in terms of immediate action, but in preparing long-term solutions for a country increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters.
Kamal Dev Bhattarai
Editor
