Kathmandu, September 8
A landslide has blocked the Kimrong Khola in Annapurna Rural Municipality-11 of Kaski, prompting police to urge residents in nearby settlements to move to safer locations.
According to Kaski District Police Chief SP Navin Karki, locals reported that the river has been blocked for around six hours after a landslide fell into the stream. The same river had been blocked by a landslide in the past, triggering flooding.
Police have been using loudspeakers in Nayapul, Birethanti and surrounding settlements to alert residents about the potential risk and advise them to move to safe locations.
“After the rural municipality chairperson and other local representatives informed us that the river had been blocked for several hours, we are now making announcements along the riverbanks,” Karki told Onlinekhabar.
The river has previously caused flooding in Birethanti, cutting roads and washing away a bridge. The road to Ghandruk remains blocked due to the damage, police said.
Rural municipality chairperson Bishnu Bahadur KC said the river was blocked from around 6am and that authorities had received information that the water level had since fallen.
“Very little water is flowing in the river now. It has been nearly three hours, and there could be a problem if the river suddenly breaks through,” he said.
A flood in the Modi Khola on August 18 had also damaged the road in the Birethanti area, disrupting transportation. The road has not yet fully reopened.
Following the latest landslide and blockage in the Kimrong Khola, police have also urged residents living around the Modi Khola to remain alert.
Police have warned that a sudden flood could occur if the amount of water trapped behind the blockage continues to rise. Residents have been advised to stay away from river and stream banks and remain in safe areas.
The Kimrong Khola flows through Annapurna Rural Municipality-11 before joining the Modi Khola. The Modi then flows through Parbat district and eventually joins the Kali Gandaki River.
