Syangja, September 27
Flooding on the Kaligandaki River has submerged 50 houses in the Setibeni area, spanning both Syangja and Parbat districts.
Following four straight days of continuous rain, rising water flow in the river submerged 30 houses in Bihadi Rural Municipality-6, Parbat, and 20 houses in Galyang Municipality-5, Syangja.
The flood also swept away the concrete bridge connecting Mirmi, in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7, Syangja, to Harmichaur, in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1, Gulmi.
The bridge had already been damaged by rising water levels before it was fully washed away this morning, according to the District Administration Office, Syangja. Its loss has disrupted travel and transportation between Syangja and Gulmi.
Locals say this is the largest flood on the Kaligandaki River in the past 30 years, the first of this scale since the Kaligandaki “A” Hydropower Project was built.
Due to the high water flow, power generation at the 144-megawatt Kaligandaki “A” Hydropower Project in Beltari, Syangja, was halted from 8:45 pm Friday.
According to project chief Atmesh Paudel, this marks the first time since the plant began operations that generation has had to be suspended for an extended period. All three gates of the project’s dam at Mirmi have been fully opened since Friday night due to the high water flow.
With water levels also rising in smaller streams across the district, the District Administration Office, Syangja, has urged residents living along riverbanks in the Ridi, Ramdi, Malunga, and Chapakot areas to remain alert, and said it is continuously issuing warnings and using loudspeaker announcements about the potential risk.
