Thousands migrate as landslide blocks major river in Nepal

Thousands of people in western Nepal started moving to higher regions after a massive landslide blocked Kali Gandaki, a major river, on Sunday, and buried 25 houses in a village, officials here said.

There was no immediate report of any casualty.

The blockage was first noticed early Sunday morning at Baisari village in Bhagwati Village Development Committee (VDC) of Myagdi district.

Panic-stricken residents in Baisari and adjacent areas, including district headquarter Beni, at lower reaches of the river like Ghatan, Beni Bazar, Galeshwor and Pokharebagar began moving to higher grounds after the river was blocked by the landslide at around 1.00 a.m.

The Ministry of Science and Technology declared a 'high alert' in the settlements along the banks of the Kali Gandaki river, owing to a continuing series of landslides which have blocked the river.

The flood forecasting division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has appealed to the residents of settlements in the seven districts -- Syangja, Parbat, Myagdi, Baglung, Gulmi, Palpa and Nawalparasi -- through which the river flows to remain alert.

Rishi Ram Sharma, director general of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) said the normal water flow recorded in the Kali Gandaki river is 50 cumecs (cubic metres per second).

"At this rate, 180,000 cubic foot of water will be stored in an hour in the artificial lake which is forming after the river was blockaded. After 10 hours of the river being blocked, around 1.8 million cubic foot of water will be stored in the reservoir.

"If the stored water is not funneled out soon, this will pose a serious risk to villages situated both downstream and upstream of the blocked river site," said Sharma.

He, however, said it was highly unlikely that the dam would burst anytime soon.

Likewise, Prakriti Raj Joshi, a geologist with Nepal Electricity Authority who returned from the dammed river, said the water-level was rising as the security personnel had not been able to find an outlet for the accumulated water.

"A landslide-based dam has been formed at the Kali Gandaki river, approximately 10 km upstream of Beni Bazar. Residents living downstream in Galeshwor Bazaar and Beni Bazaar need to remain in a state of high alert," a government website said citing an official warning.

"Parts of Syangja, Parbat, Myagdi, Baglung, Gulmi, Palpa and Nawalparasi districts downstream of this river also need to stay at high alert."

Nepal Police tweeted that the water-level in the artificial dam, created after the blockage of the river, has risen by 150 metres.

Myagdi district headquarters, Beni Bazar, is said to be at the biggest risk due to the blockage as construction of gabion walls three kms from the confluence of the rivers on both sides has not been completed.

Residents have already vacated the district headquarter Beni Bazar and moved to higher ground. Transportation along the Beni-Jomsom road section has also come to a halt.

"We have asked people to remain on high alert and move to safer grounds. Not a drop of water is flowing downstream. We are still assessing the full scale of the damage," said Myagdi Chief District Officer Tek Bahadur KC.

A chopper with six rescue personnel onboard, which had flown for Myagdi from the capital, landed one kilometre upstream at 9.40 a.m., police said.

The team will now attempt to drain out the water from the artificial lake. Nepal Army, Nepal Police personnel and officials from the Home Ministry have already reached the site.

Meanwhile, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has directed Home Minister Bamdev Gautam and concerned authorities of Ministry of Defense to initiate necessary works immediately to ensure the safety of residents, who are facing risk after the Kali Gandaki river was blocked by a landslide in Myagdi district.

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala directed Chief of Army Staff Gen. Gaurav Shumsher JB Rana to breach the dammed river with caution to avoid any loss of life and damage to physical infrastructure and property.

He has also directed that adequate arrangements be made to requisition human resource, technologies and equipment for the breaching of the dammed river.

The prime minister directed the security personnel in the area to carry out the necessary rescue and relief task in a prompt and effective manner, said a release issued here by the prime minister's press advisor Prakash Adhikari.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)