At least 47 people have been killed in monsoon-related disasters of flood, landslide, and lightning in Nepal in less than a month since the onset of the rainy season, as per Home Ministry records.
In the meeting of the National Assembly on Friday, the Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Security, Dol Prasad Aryal, informed the members of the upper house about the casualties during the monsoon mayhem.
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“Until now, a total of 55 incidents of flooding have been recorded, claiming 4 lives, one missing, and two injured. 24 people have died in landslides and 19 are injured, a total of 77 places have recorded heavy rainfall, resulting in the injury of four people.
“This would bring the count to 24 deaths, one missing, and 25 injured, and in due course, 46 houses have been completely damaged and 36 houses have been partially damaged. Lightning has affected 32 districts, where 93 incidents have been recorded, resulting in the deaths of 19 and 35 sustained injuries,” said Dol Prasad Aryal.
Minister Aryal informed the upper house of the Federal Parliament about the loss details, responding on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.
The monsoon season in the Himalayan nation generally begins on June 13 and ends on September 23. Last year, it started on June 14, one day later than the normal onset day.
Nepal records high mortality due to landslides and flooding during monsoon on annual basis provided the terrain, unplanned urbanisation, and settlements on the slopes are prone to landslide.
The Kathmandu Valley, which comprises Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur districts, received continuous downpours, resulting in inundation and flooding in the major river streams.
The Bagmati and Bishnumati Rivers, which works as the veins of river connection in the capital Kathmandu, outburst its embankments, inundating the residential areas settled on its embankments. The Balkhu and Thapathali slum areas of Kathmandu got submerged in the water of Bagmati River, forcing people to go out in search of shelter.
“The downpour started yesterday and has forced everyone out. There are children, people with medical conditions, this is not something we face that is new but the timing is wrong. The inundation triggered by the heavy rain started early this year in the month of July (Ashar), the water level now has submerged us up to the knee; if the rainfall continues, then we will have to run for our lives,” Rajkumar BK, a slum dweller in Kathmandu told ANI.
The monsoon formally gathered and spread all across the Himalayan nation in the middle of June, and it is expected to remain active for about three months. The slum dwellers who were in a rush to salvage their belongings are much worried for the days to come, as the inundation problem occurred earlier than it used to in bygone years.
“The monsoon is yet to peak, meaning heavy rains are due, our economic conditions are also not that strong, we barely survive on daily wages,” Ganga Malik, another slum dweller, told ANI.
As the monsoon continues to increase it’s presence in Nepal, the government has estimated that as many as 1.8 million people could be affected by rain-related incidents during the season.
In the adjoining districts of Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, rivers burst their embankments, inundating roads and walking ways while the rainfall continued. Temples and building structures were partially and completely submerged under the water, which also carried debris and mud.
The Himalayan nation this year is expecting more than average monsoon rainfall, and early July usually don’t record incidents of monsoon induced disasters.
According to a statement by the 28th Session of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum released on April 29, above-normal rainfall is most likely during the monsoon season over most parts of South Asia except some areas over the northern, eastern, and northeastern parts of the region, where below normal rainfall is most likely.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains in Nepal cause tremendous damage to life, property, infrastructure, and the environment. In Tarai, tens of thousands of people are affected by floods every year. In the hills, landslides are the main natural hazards, occurring very frequently, mostly during monsoons.
The normal monsoon onset and withdrawal dates are June 13 and October 2 respectively. Last year, monsoons entered eastern Nepal on June 14 and withdrew from eastern Nepal on October 15, delayed by thirteen days.
This year, South Asian meteorologists say, there is a strong consensus among the experts that La Nina conditions are likely to develop over the equatorial Pacific during the second half of the southwest monsoon season. It is also recognised that La Nina conditions are generally associated with the normal to above normal southwest monsoon rainfall over most parts of South Asia.
El Nino and La Nina are two opposing climate patterns that break these normal conditions. Global temperatures typically increase during an El Nino episode and fall during a La Nina. El Nino means warmer water spreads further and stays closer to the surface, releasing more heat.