What Is the Connectivity Status in Villages Affected by Bhote Koshi-Trishuli Floods?
Image source, RSS
The Ministry of Infrastructure Development has announced that work is underway to open at least single-lane tracks within the next two weeks in areas where roads were disrupted due to severe floods on September 26 in the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river region.
Approximately 40 kilometers of road from Galchi in Dhading to Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa is currently being cleared by the Department of Roads, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, and the Nuwakot Road Division Office, according to the ministry.
The Rasuwa District Administration reports that four rural municipalities in Rasuwa have been completely affected.
Officials stated that the devastating flood in the Bhote Koshi river—entering Rasuwa district via the Lhende river flowing from the Nepal-China border—has fully impacted the Gosaikunda, Amachodingmo, Kalika, and Uttargaya rural municipalities of Rasuwa.
These four rural municipalities include 20 villages and areas such as Rasuwagadhi, Ghatte Khola, Timure, Tatopani, Lingling, Medangpudu, Runga, Syafruveshi, parts of Sano Bharkhu and Hakuweshi, Gumchet, Mailung, Salletar, Simle Puchar, Pahireveshi, Khalte, Naubise, Kaidletar, and Betrawati, all of which are fully affected.
Furthermore, several wards of these four rural municipalities and Naukunda are partially affected, according to Rasuwa administration.
A press release from the Rasuwa District Administration Office details that road networks in wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Gosaikunda rural municipality are completely broken, as are roads across all wards of Amachodingmo rural municipality. Additionally, road networks in wards 1, 2, and 3 of Uttargaya rural municipality are also disrupted.
Roads in wards 1 through 5 of Kalika rural municipality and wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of Naukunda rural municipality are partially damaged.
What Do Local Representatives Say?
Image source, SHAKTIMAYA TAMANG
Local residents in Rasuwa’s affected areas have complained that due to electricity and communication outages lasting several days after the floods, they were unable to access relief assistance.
Many people from Uttargaya, Gosaikunda, and Amachodingmo rural municipalities have been rescued and relocated to temporary camps in Nuwakot.
However, some villagers remain safely in their own homes, local representatives report.
Gosaikunda Rural Municipality Chairperson Kaisang Tamang said that for the first week, electricity and communication services were completely cut off in most areas of the rural municipality, though they have since partially resumed.
He added that affected individuals have been accommodated in secure homes within Gosaikunda, two holding centers there, and also in holding centers in Kathmandu.
However, work on bridges and road networks has not progressed yet, Tamang said.
Following the collapse of the bridge near the Chilime Hydropower powerhouse in Syafruveshi, areas of two rural municipalities were completely affected.
“This disconnected many wards of Gosaikunda and Amachodingmo rural municipalities, hindering progress. A hanging bridge (swing bridge) needs to be installed, but the required survey and design have not yet been done,” Tamang said.
“Similarly, three concrete bridges will have to be constructed on the route to Timure, but no studies for this have been conducted yet.”
Electricity service has partially resumed, he confirmed.
Except for Dahalfedi in ward number 1 and Nimling in ward number 3 of Gosaikunda rural municipality, power is available in other areas to some extent.
Communication services, while improved compared to immediately after the floods, have not yet fully normalized, he added.
How Much of the Road Has Been Reopened and What Remains?
Image source, SHAKTIMAYA TAMANG
According to Information Officer Gyanraj Lamsal of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, efforts are ongoing to open a single-lane track to enable vehicular movement on the road from Galchi to Rasuwagadhi before the Dashain festival.
Due to flood damage, about 40 kilometers of roads between Galchi in Dhading and Rasuwagadhi in Rasuwa were mostly blocked, isolating many villages from the road network.
Work to reopen about half of this road section has been completed, and the Ministry and Department of Roads are working swiftly to clear the remainder.
“The Nuwakot Road Division Office is prioritizing the reconstruction and track clearance of the main connectivity route from Galchi to Rasuwagadhi, currently blocked,” Lamsal said.
“Restoring roads is the top priority to normalize daily life, deliver aid, and facilitate rehabilitation. The track clearance should be completed within two weeks.”
He added that once the track is open, four-wheel vehicles will be able to transport goods.
“The plan is to open at least a single-lane, one-way road so that goods can be transported and daily life can be restored,” he explained.
After the floods, people had been using alternative routes to reach Rasuwa from Nuwakot.
Currently, however, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development is working on reestablishing the track on the original flood-damaged road.
“We are clearing the track along the riverside on the previous road and will conduct feasibility studies for constructing a suitable new road in the future,” said officials from the ministry and department.
In addition to roads, three suspension bridges have been installed in areas isolated by rivers, enabling people to resume movement, they added.
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