2020 (Flood and Landslides in Tanahun) – Part 1

Nepal is a landlocked country full of geographical diversity. There can be seen high snow-capped mountains, sloping lands, and reservoirs of abundant water resources, as well as flat plains in the arable plains. Due to the diversity of topography as well as the extreme variation of climate and weather, hot-subtropical, subtropical, tigra and tundra types of climate are found in Nepal. Elevated diversity in Nepal’s physical appearance has created a situation of geographical diversity.

Disasters mean the chaotic state of society created by lightning, hail, earthquakes, fires, floods, landslides, droughts, heavy rains, epidemics, wars, famines, etc.

Due to the increasing climate pollution in the world, its impact on Nepal is also increasing due to the change in climate and natural calamities including excessive rainfall and drought. As a result, the incidence of various physical and human losses in the country is continuously increasing.

Among the various natural calamities, water-borne disasters and calamities are increasing every year as a major problem in Nepal. In our country, Nepal, heavy rains in a short period of time every year (Asad, Shrawan, Bhadra) are considered to be the major cause of water-borne disasters as 80 to 90 percent of the annual rainfall occurs during this time. Thunderstorms under the Himalayas during the pre-monsoon and monsoon season, regular monsoon floods and landslides, uncontrolled human development work, land erosion, etc. trigger and damage to physical infrastructure like lakes, ponds, fields, hydropower / irrigation dams and canals.

Floods and landslides are major disasters in waterborne disasters. Landslides occur due to various reasons such as earthquakes, excessive rainfall, exploitation of human nature (deforestation, uncontrolled development works), etc. Increased water flow in streams, rivers, etc. increases the risk of landslides due to river erosion, flooding of flat terrain and excessive irrigation of water on sloping lands. Every year, natural disasters such as floods and landslides kill hundreds of people in Nepal, leaving thousands homeless, destroying various physical infrastructures and structures, and putting them at risk. River erosion, flooding of land and settlements along the river, and flooding of roads due to inadequate drainage of water, are the causes of disaster. Due to the floods in the river, there is a problem of under mining (piping) in the dams and ditches built for irrigation. Excessive flow of water in the river canals will erode the lands and cultivable lands along the rivers, canals, clogged and leaching due to excessive water storage in the irrigated fields may lead to decline in agricultural production.

Technical Inspection at some localities of Tanahun:

Due to floods and landslides caused by incessant rains at different times since the very first of the year 2077 BS, There seems to be complete and partial damage and loss of properties physical infrastructures (roads, bridges, canals, ditches, embankments, buildings, etc.). A technical team from the Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division Office, Tanahun had been set to get the on-site information of the loss / damage situation in the district to prepare the field basis estimates and find out the proper structures for mitigation and remedies of future disaster for the localities. By direct observation of the locations, the physical damage has been noted. It is hoped that this monitoring will help identify the causes of the damage and find ways to reduce future damage, as well as discuss budgeting and planning for the mitigation.

It is now necessary to adopt various disaster management strategies, policies, policies, stakeholder participation, integrated development works and other disaster management strategies to reduce the damage caused by the disaster in Tanahun district. Strategies are needed to deal with disasters and mitigation, such as formulating policies, making the policy decision-making process pragmatic, and making stakeholder participation effective in dealing with the situation, and carrying out development works based on ground realities.

Disasters and outbreaks increase in our country due to the development in Ashad during monsoon period. Therefore, a policy to end this stagnant development seems necessary. And it seems that the development plan should be brought forward keeping in view the demand and need in the ground. Due to which human exploitation of nature is reduced. By ensuring the right of way of rivers, canals and streams, lakes, etc., the risk can be reduced by conserving such natural resources. While encouraging the tradition of compensating for natural disasters in structures built within the jurisdiction of natural resources, the practice seems to have undermined the equitable use of natural resources.

In order to reduce the risk of disasters, non-integrated and unorganized development works will increase the risk of disasters. While carrying out any development works, it seems necessary to coordinate and cooperate with various stakeholders at the local level, organizations, departments, divisions, etc. In order to cope with any development work and disaster, it is appropriate to manage the budget from the concerned office, prepare the cost estimate of the structure that seems appropriate from the opinion of technical point of view and implement it.