Kaligandaki swells: Setibeni submerged, Rurukshetra settlements evacuated

With continuous rainfall causing the Kaligandaki River to swell, Setibeni in Syangja has been submerged, while settlements in Rurukshetra, Gulmi, have begun to be evacuated.

According to the Flood Forecasting Division, the Kaligandaki's level at Modibeni in Parbat crossed the warning level of 7 meters, reaching 7.75 meters, though it is now declining. As flash floods carrying debris from the Mustang side merge in, the level continues to rise at other locations too.

The District Administration Offices of Baglung, Parbat and Myagdi have urged residents in riverside areas including Beni, Niyarghat and Maldhunga to move to safe locations, and police are making loudspeaker announcements.

According to the Setibeni Police Post, after the Kaligandaki's rising flow blocked the Seti Khola, 10 houses in Galyang Municipality-5 were submerged, and those at risk had already been moved on Friday night. Near Lamochaupari in Rurukshetra Rural Municipality-1, after the flow of the Kaligandaki and Ridi rivers rose, Ward Chair Nabaraj Bik and local youths moved household belongings to safe locations overnight.

A landslide has also occurred at Kafaldanda in Annapurna Rural Municipality-8 of Myagdi, the same location where a landslide on Jestha 10, 2072 BS had blocked the Kaligandaki for 16 hours.