Budhi Gandaki flooding damages water projects and isolates Gorkha villages

Recent flooding triggered by a landslide in the Budhi Gandaki river has damaged at least 12 water supply projects and severed road connectivity in Gorkha and Dhading districts.

A landslide near Tum in Chumanubri, Gorkha, blocked a tributary of the Budhi Gandaki river on Sunday morning, according to the Center for Hydrology and Water Resources Research. Officials told BBC News Nepal that vibrations equivalent to a 4.2 magnitude tremor were recorded around 4:30 AM, likely caused by the falling debris. While some reports suggested an avalanche, the center's spokesperson, Rajan Bhattarai, stated that satellite imagery confirmed a landslide, though cloud cover prevented verification of whether glacial ice was also involved.

The resulting flood has severely impacted water infrastructure across several municipalities. Online Khabar reports that a dozen projects are damaged, including the Bishaltar Arughat and Manpang systems in Tripurasundari, as well as multiple projects in Jwalamukhi, Gangajamuna, and Siddhalek. These disruptions have cut off water supplies to numerous wards and Dalit settlements in the region.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority confirmed that approximately 300 people in Gorkha and Dhading have been affected. Ram KC, head of the disaster response branch, told BBC News Nepal that while eight trucks of relief reached Arughat on Sunday evening, helicopters are now being used to transport supplies to remote areas where bridges were destroyed. Rescue operations continued on Monday to relocate people stranded by the loss of road and trail access.

In a separate impact in the wider region, OnlineKhabar English News reported that farmers in Rasuwa's Amachhodingmo Rural Municipality are facing severe losses. Following a flood on August 26 that damaged local bridges, crops like cabbage and potatoes are wilting in fields due to a lack of market access. Local residents and officials are currently volunteering to build a makeshift wooden bridge at Syaphrubensi to restore connectivity.

Background

The landslide-induced blockage occurred near Siringe Mountain between Lokpa and Chumling. This incident follows similar seismic activity recorded in the Langtang Lirung region during previous flooding in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli area about a month and a half ago.