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More than 500 families have been affected by the floods in Sunsari.

Local Wajuddin Mansuri said that more than 40 houses have been inundated in Koshi Rural Municipality-4.

Likewise, ward member of Inruwa municipality-1 Pradeep Dhakal shared that some houses of ward 1, 4, 3 and 8 of the municipality have been flooded.

Houses in Harinagar, Dewanganj, Bhokraha, Duhabi, Barju Rural Municipality and Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City have been inundated.

He said that more than 500 families in the district were affected by the floods.

So far, 100 people have died while 67 are reported missing in the late monsoon-induced floods and landslides that took place across the country. In addition, another 100 people have been injured in the disaster.

According to the Home Ministry, 20 people died in Lalitpur, 15 in Dhading, 12 in Kathmandu, 10 in Kavre, seven in Makawanpur, six in Sindhupalchowk, five in Solukhumbu, five in Panchthar and five in Bhaktapur.

Furthermore, three people have died in Dolakha, two in Sindhuli, two in Dhankuta, two in Mahottari, one each in Ramechhap, Jhapa, Udayapur, Ilam, Saptari and Nuwakot.

According to Rishiram Tiwari, spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs, a total of 9,983 security personnel have been mobilized for search and rescue in the floods and landslides-affected areas and 3,039 people have been successfully rescued so far.

Every monsoon season, Nepal grapples with the life-giving rains turning into a potential threat, unleashing devastating floods and landslides. Overflowing rivers and streams inundate surrounding areas, causing loss of life, livestock, homes and infrastructure. Heavy rain disrupts agriculture and destroys precious topsoil, shattering lives. In the past one decade alone, over 1800 people have lost their lives due to monsoon disasters in Nepal. During that period, about 400 people have gone missing and more than 1500 people have suffered injuries. 

The recent monsoon has been particularly brutal, with reports of casualties, missing individuals and widespread damage. This year’s monsoon can affect as many as 1.8m people and four lakh households. As of 10 Aug 2024, the monsoon has claimed 170 lives since June 10 when it began. Initial reports show it has displaced over 4,279 families, inundated 384 houses, destroyed 270 homes, 102 sheds, 43 bridges, two schools and two government offices, inundating 182 houses and damaging hundreds more.

Many times, human factors have added to the losses. Look at the recent example of the Simaltal landslide mishap of July 12 night. The landslide swept two buses, and it is believed there were 65 people in the buses, of which three passengers swam to safety. While 25 bodies have been found, others remain missing. In the first place, the landslide seems to be a result of improper slope management while constructing the Mugling-Narayanghat Highway, and opening Simaltal-Bangesal-Dumre rural road on the slopes above the highway. Secondly, driving the vehicles on a rainy night under the compromised visibility added to the risks.

Settlements in the river banks adjoining roads are another major reason for heavy losses. The high losses due to the Melamchi flood of 15 June 2021 resulted not only from the climate change and associated heavy rains, but also from the fact that human settlements had extended to lower alluvial deposits. In many places, improper construction of roads over small streams and flawed sewage management systems result in inundation whenever heavy rains occur. Such was the case of the 2021 Kapan Flood, right in northern Kathmandu.

The impact goes beyond immediate losses. Displaced communities face a desperate struggle to secure food, shelter and medical care. Livelihoods are disrupted, and the psychological trauma can be long-lasting. The economic toll is significant, with destroyed infrastructure and hampered agricultural production impacting the entire nation.

Post-disaster management

In the face of such devastation, the need for a swift and coordinated response to deliver life-saving aid is paramount. One approach gaining traction is the ‘one-door policy’, where all relief efforts are channeled through a single government entity. This centralized system promises streamlined resource allocation and standardized distribution. 

Following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal received massive humanitarian support from home and abroad. Rescue workers worked day and night to rescue the people buried under rubble of collapsed structures. Nepalis are grateful for this. We also witnessed, in the flood of donor agencies, some taking advantage of the distressed situation and engaging in improper activities. Besides, many would go to some easily accessible poor countryside, distribute aid materials, take selfies and post them on social media. This way, some areas received more than what they needed and others received too little. This prompted the government to adopt a one-door policy.

By directing all aid through a central channel, the government can ensure resources are strategically deployed toward the most critical needs. This eliminates duplication of efforts and fosters fairness in distribution. Additionally, a single point of contact enhances accountability and fosters trust with donors. However, bureaucratic hurdles can create bottlenecks, delaying aid delivery when swift action is crucial. Local NGOs, with established relationships and a deeper understanding of local nuances, can tailor aid distribution more effectively.

The one-door policy has been a source of debate in Nepal. The policy introduced in 2015 has been implemented to prevent uneven aid distribution and ensure remote areas received support. However, this centralized approach faced criticism for being slow and inefficient. Many NGOs and private entities felt hamstrung by the need for government approval, leading to delays. In the aftermath of the 2017 floods and landslides, the government again enforced the one-door policy. While the intention was to streamline efforts, critics argue it led to logistical challenges and inefficiencies. There were reports of aid being stuck in red tape while victims remained underserved.

The way forward

One-door-policy does not discourage local governments from actively coordinating rescue works and distribution of reliefs to the needy. To facilitate prompt response, domestic NGOs may be allowed to cooperate with local governments. As to the foreign governments and INGOs willing to support, we should make sure that they comply with our one-door-policy, that they do not take advantage of our calamity to create one or another form of social disharmony, that they do no harm to the self-respect of our suffering people, that they do not try to impose or promote their interests, and that they confine their support to the extent we need.

A mountainous country located in a quake-prone region, Nepal faces multiple threats of heavy rains, floods, landslides, GLOFs, droughts, famines, fires, epidemics, earthquakes and other disasters. Keeping this in view, the government has formed a high-level National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management under the Prime Minister. Through a collaborative approach that marries centralized control with local expertise, Nepal can build resilience and ensure life-saving aid reaches those who need it the most.

Two people have died and one person has gone missing due to floods in the Bandre river in Baglung Municipality-4.

In the incident that took place last night, the floods swept away a motorcycle (Dha 2 Pa 8010) and a scooter (Dha 1 Pa 9996).

Arjun Sapkota (23) and Abeshik Regmi (22) of Baglung-4 died in the incident while 20-year-old Kamal Sapkota of the same village has gone missing, according to Inspector Patap Paudel of the District Police Office, Baglung.

The bodies of Sapkota and Regmi were recovered about 200 meters downstream the river.

The search for Sapkota is underway but continuous rainfall is hampering the efforts, said police.

As many as 134 people have lost their lives as of Thursday due to floods and landslides since June 10.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Nepal Police and Nepal Police Spokesperson, Dan Bahadur Karki, said that two people died in the Kathmandu Valley, 22 in Koshi Province, six in Madhes Province, 25 in Bagmati Province and 38 in Gandaki Province.

Likewise, 23 people lost their lives in Lumbini Province, eight in Karnali Province and 10 in Sudurpaschim Province.

Karki stated that 148 people were injured including nine in the Kathmandu Valley, 34 in Koshi Province, nine each in Madhes, Lumbini and Bagmati Provinces, 29 in Gandaki Province, 35 in Karnali Province and 14 in Sudurpaschim Province.

Seven people are still missing in the floods and landslides and a search for them is underway, DIG Karki said.

A total of 4,030 families were displaced by the monsoon-related disasters during the period, according to Karki.

As many as 133 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides since last June 10.

According to the Nepal Police headquarters, 145 people have been injured during the period while seven are still missing, besides the people caught in the Simaltal incident.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Dan Bahadur Karki shared two people died in Kathmandu Valley, 22 in Koshi Province, six in Madhes Province, 25 in Bagmati Province, 38 in Gandaki Province, 23 in Lumbini Province, seven in Karnali Province and 10 in Sudurpaschim Province.

According to him, 145 people have been injured including nine in Kathmandu Valley, 34 in Koshi Province, nine in Madhes Province, seven in Bagmati Province, 29 in Gandaki Province, nine in Lumbini Province, 34 in Karnali Province and 14 in Sudurpaschim Province.

A total of 67 people have been rescued including one in Kathmandu Valley, 49 in Koshi Province, 12 in Gandaki Province and five in Sudurpaschim Province. Seven people are reported missing in the floods and landslides.

A total of 4,018 families have been displaced due to the monsoon-induced disasters.

Eighty-three people have so far died in the flooding and landslide incidents across the country.

The Police Headquarters stated that 33 men, 25 women and 25 children have died in such incidents in various places of the country from June 10 till this morning. 

Central Police spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki said 106 people have been injured and five persons, including three women and two men, are missing in floods and landslides during this period. Among the injured are 51 men, 36 women and 19 children.

Similarly, 384 cattle have died in these incidents during this period.

Police spokesperson Karki said that 139 houses and 54 cattle sheds have been damaged due to the floods and landslides.

Eight hundred and fifty-eight families have been displaced due to the landslides and flooding caused by the incessant rains. So far 5,428 police personnel have been mobilized for rescue of those people affected by the disasters.

Floods and landslides have damaged one school and two government office buildings. Forty-one bridges have been swept away. Likewise, 161 houses have been submerged and 116 ropanis of land has been buried by debris.

The Police Headquarters stated that 2,954 families have been displaced throughout the country in the 1,028 disaster-related incidents triggered by the incessant rains.

Properties worth millions of rupees were destoryed in the monsoon-induced disasters.

Seventy-eight people have lost their lives so far in floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in various parts of the country.

It has been learnt that properties worth around Rs 100 million were destroyed in the disasters.

Similarly, 90 people have been injured and five have gone missing so far due to the flooding and landslides that occurred in various parts of the country from June 10 till this morning, according to the Police Headquarters.

Three hundred and eighty-one cattle have died, 98 cowsheds destroyed and 595 houses were damaged in the incidents.

A total of 5, 041 police personnel have been mobilized for disaster management during this period, the Police Headquarters informed.

Floods and landslides have damaged one school and two government office buildings. Forty-one bridges have been swept away.

Likewise, 161 houses have been submerged and 116 ropanis of land has been buried by debris.

The Police Headquarters stated that 1,028 disaster-related incidents have occurred due to the incessant rains, resulting in losses around  Rs 1 billion.

An infant died after a flood gushed into a house in Kanchanpur on Sunday night.

The District Police Office, Kanchanpur identified the deceased as seven-months-old Sonu Dhanuk of Pahariya of Krishnapur Municipality-1.

The child fell from the bed on a water-logged floor and died.

Similarly, Dambar Chaudhary (23) of Vaivah of Beldandi Rural Municipality-3 has gone missing in a flooded local river, SP Chakra Raj Joshi said. Police have intensified search operations for him with the help of the locals.

As of today, 1,700 houses in Kanchanpur have been inundated due to continuous rain over the past two days. The affected areas include Bhimdatta, Bedkot, Dodhara Chandani, and Punarbas Municipalities, as well as Beldandi Rural Municipality. All nine local levels in the district have been affected by the flooding. 

On Sunday night, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Army personnel successfully evacuated 39 people to safety. Security personnel have been actively deployed in the affected areas. As of now, a total of 1,738 individuals have been rescued and relocated to safer areas.  

Vehicular movement along the East-West Highway has been obstructed as the flood damaged a culvert at Suda Chowk of the Bhansi-Daiji section.

The floods from the Mahakali and Jodbudha rivers have entered the settlement at Dodhara-Chandani Municipality-10. Those displaced from their homes due to the disaster have been taking refuge at ward offices, schools, and relatives. 

All sluice gates at the Sharada barrage have been opened due to rising water levels in the Mahakali river.

On Sunday night, the river's flow exceeded 400,000(cusecs, but has since decreased to 288,000 cusecs.

All 24 sluice gates towards Nepal's territory along the Sharada Barrage in Banbasa have been opened.

Vehicles have been prohibited from crossing the Sharada barrage bridge for the past three days.

Seventy people lost their lives so far due to floods and landslides triggered by incessant rains, according to the Police Headquarters.

Central Police Spokesperson, Deputy Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki said that 70 people have died, 86 have been injured and five people have gone missing so far in the incidents of floods and landslides occurred throughout the country from June 10 till this morning.

Police said that people injured in such incidents are undergoing treatment at local hospitals.

According to police, 966 incidents of flooding and landslides have occurred during this period, in which 86 houses have been damaged and 335 cattle have perished.

Life across the country has been affected today as well due to heavy rain and 4,790 police personnel have been mobilized in rescue and relief works during this period.

Properties worth around Rs 95 million have been destroyed in the monsoon-related disasters.

Floods triggered by incessant rainfall have submerged some settlements in Kanchanpur.

According to the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, most of the areas have been affected by the floods. Three settlements of Dodhara Chandani Municipality-10 have been inundated after the Mahakali and Jogbuda rivers entered the settlements.

Kutiyakabhar of Jogbuda and Shanti Tole and Lisani Tole of Wari have been inundated. Similarly, Bhimdutta Municipality, Bedkot, Shuklaphanta, Krishnapur Municipality and most of the settlements in the southern region of Kanchanpur have been flooded.

Spokesperson at the District Police Office, Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Joshi, said 1,622 people, who were affected by the floods across the district, have been rescued and shifted to safer places.

Normal life has been affected in Kailali due to floods triggered by incessant rainfall.

Some families have been displaced after floods entered the settlement in Bhajani of Kailali on Sunday night. The municipality and the locals have jointly shifted the people of the risky areas to postal roads and high-placed buildings throughout the night.

Krishna Dhamala, a local, said some families in Bhajani have left the settlement overnight and moved to the streets. The people living in the settlement sat on the postal road with children and livestock at night due to the rise in water level in rivers and rivulets.

The floods inundated almost all the wards of Bhajani. All the houses in ward-8 have been inundated. "Hundreds of families have moved to the streets and high-rise houses with their belongings after the settlements were waterlogged following incessant rains", he said. The southern and eastern parts of Kailali have been inundated due to the floods.

The settlements of Tikapur, Bhajani, Janaki and Joshipur of Kailali near the rivers and rivulets have been inundated due to the rise in water level in the River Chure and the Karnali River. Some families have been displaced in Tikapur Municipality.

Disaster Management Section Chief of Tikapur Nirmala Chaudhary said that 65 houses of Parseni, Bhartapur and Bhagwanpur of ward-6 have been inundated due to the flood in Patharaya River.

Ward 2, 5, 7 and 8 of Tikapur are at risk of inundation as the water level in the Karnali River increases. Similarly, Joshipur rural municipality has also been inundated due to incessant rain.

Chief of the disaster management section of Joshipur Rural Municipality, Sita Singh said water from the Kada river has entered Bhittariya and inundated it.

Most of Janaki's wards have been inundated and some families have been displaced.

Disaster management section chief Netra Prasad Jaisi said many settlements in ward 4 and 7 have been inundated. "There are 11 families living in Girdharpur of ward 4. There are 15 families living in Farela of ward 7," Jaisi said.

Dozens of settlements in Janaki are waterlogged. The municipalities in the area have intensified their work such as cleaning drains after the floods ran through the settlements. They have been engaged in the work of opening the jammed drains and draining out water in the submerged areas.

Information Officer at the District Administration Office, Shivaraj Joshi, shared that various places in the district have been inundated due to rain so the teams are being mobilized to minimize the damage.

A total of 14 people lost their lives to disasters triggered by incessant monsoon rain at different parts of the country since Friday night. 

Others three have gone missing in the landslides, flooding, and inundations. According to Nepal Poice spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dan Bahadur Karki, the number of injuries in such incidents is 18.

Of the 14 casualties, one has been reported in Kathmandu, three in Syangja, two in Parbat, one in Udayapur, two in Kavrepalanchowk, one in Palpa, three in Tanahun and one in Dang.

Manoj BK from Lakhan Thapa Rural Municipality-6 in Gorkha was killed in a landslide in Nagarjun Municipality-3, Kathmandu.

Others killed due to landslides include Raj Rai from Rautamai Rural Municipality-5 in Udayapur, and Jalamaya Rujal Magar, and Setimaya Rujal from Roshi Rural Municipality-11 in Kavrepalanchowk.

Further casualties from landslides include Hira Nepal, Anisha Bastola, and Shyam Bhandari from Shuklagandaki Municipality-7 in Tanahun, and Guweshori Sharma Marasini, Madhav Sharma and Harimaya Sharma from Biruwa Rural Municipality-6 in Syangja, according to the police.

According to Police Headquarters, Naxal, Jhalak Prasad Sharma and Tulsi Prasad Sharma of Phalebas Municipality-1 Karkineta in Parbat, Rima Saraha Ranamgar of Mathagadhi Rural Municipality-6 in Palpa and Maniam Chaudhary of Bagrapur in Lamahi Municipality-8 of Dang were killed in the landslide. 

Similarly, Jangmu Sherpa of Dolakha Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-9, Rajkumar Yadav of Rajpur Rural Municipality-2, Dang and Khem Kumari Mall of Syangja Bhirkot Municipality-5 Jyamire are among those who disappeared in flooding and landslide incidents.

Police further shared that so far, five people have been injured in Tanahun, one person in Gulmi, two people in Okhaldhunga, three people in Kathmandu, one in Chitwan and six people in Syangja.

The police said that due to the heavy rains, life has been affected across the country and the water level in major rivers including Koshi and Narayani is high.

Even today, the police are continuing to patrol and monitor the banks of rivers and streams in Kathmandu Valley.

Spokesperson Karki said that the water level in the river in the Valley has increased due to incessant rainfall.

Security personnel from all three security agencies have been mobilized in the affected areas with high alertness, the Police Headquarters said.

As many as 7,000 people will likely be affected due to the landslides and floods this year in Tanahun district, according to the Emergency Response Plan, 2024 prepared by the District Administration Office, Tanahun.

It is estimated that 70,000 people of 15,969 households in the entire Gandaki Province will be affected due to monsoon-induced disasters this year. The Plan has listed landslide as the number one risk this year in Tanahun, said Janardhan Gautam, the Chief District Officer and Chair of the District Disaster Management Committee.

"The estimates have been made on the basis of the scientific analysis of data. The risk of landslides is much higher in Tanahun district compared to other disasters," CDO Gautam added. Based on the data from 2010 to 2020 made available by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the vulnerable population to monsoon-induced disasters in 2081 BS is around one million and 250 thousand.

According to the Chief District Officer, the District Disaster Management Committee is prepared for responding to the disasters.

Four urban municipalities and six rural municipalities in the district are at high risk of landslides. The Plan identifies high risk of flooding, fires, epidemics, drought, road accident, lightning and storm in the district after the landslide.

It is stated that 48 of the total 85 wards of 10 local levels in the district are at high risk of landslide.

Three hundred and forty-two people from 81 families have been displaced due to floods and landslides since the start of the monsoon precipitation in Taplejung.

Chief District Officer Rabindra Prasad Acharya said that five people lost their lives to landslide incidents in a period of a week. According to him, eight houses have been completely damaged while 18 more are at high risk due to landslides.

CDO Acharya added that 55 houses are at risk of landslides in various places in the district. "Eighty-four cattle have been killed due to the flood and landslide. Four vehicles have been damaged while the four bridges, including two motorable wooden bridges, have been washed away by the flood," he said.

Stating that 70 displaced families have been sheltering at the homes of their relatives and neighbours, he said 11 families are taking shelter at a nearby school.

The highest numbers of displaced families are from Sirijangha, Sidingwa, Mikwakhola and Phaktanglung rural municipalities. Four members of the same family were killed when their house was swept away by landslide at Phaktanglung-2 while one person from Phidim, Panchthar died at Sirijangha.

Landslides triggered by the incessant rain have damaged the roads as well as the hydroelectricity projects in most of the rural areas. The local governments are making efforts to repair the roads. Most of the rural roads have been obstructed in Sirijangha and Phaktanglung rural municipalities, CDO Acharya said.

The locals said that the flooding and landslides have caused most damage on cardamom farming. The people in the rural areas are living in fear of rain-induced disasters as it has been raining daily.

Five persons from Ilam, who went out of contact following flash floods and landslides, in Sikkim, India have come into contact with their families.

It has been learnt that they have recently made contact with their families by phone and social media. The families of Sen Bahadur Karki, Kumar Basnet, Naramaya Basnet, Khusi Karki and Lhakpa Lama of Ilam Municipality-9 are happy and felt a great sense of relief after they contacted home 11 days after the disaster.

Assistant Chief District Officer of Ilam Dhruba Prasad Koirala said they have been informed by the families of the five persons that they have contacted home. He said the five persons were on their way back home, according to their family sources.

Power supply to places where the Nepalis were residing and surrounding areas was cut off after the flooding. It is said that these people could not call back home as the means of communication were also dysfunctional for lack of electricity.

The five people had gone missing after the flooding in the Teesta River on October 3.

A cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta River in Lachen Valley on 4 October.

At least 14 people died and 102 went missing. The floods in Sikkim that started around 1.30 am was made worse by the release of water from Chungthang dam. Several towns, including Dikchu, Singtam, and Rangpo located in the Teesta basin, were affected by the floods.