KATHMANDU: Following torrential rainfall last week, flash floods from the Leuti River washed away a section of the Koshi Highway, disrupting traffic across eastern Nepal.
Around 30 meters of the paved road in the Dhankuta–Bhedetar section, under Sagurigadhi Rural Municipality-6, was destroyed, halting vehicles heading to Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, and Sankhuwasabha for over seven hours. Transportation to Taplejung and Panchthar via the Tamor Corridor was also blocked.
Authorities later constructed a temporary diversion across the Leuti River, allowing one-way traffic to resume.
In Jhapa district, floodwaters from the Mai River inundated the Sugathan area in Jhapa Rural Municipality-3, submerging 22 houses.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology reported that the monsoon entered eastern Nepal roughly 15 days earlier than average. Within the first 12 hours, rainfall exceeded 203 mm in some locations. Heavy rainfall was recorded across Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, and Dhankuta, and further downpours are expected.
Due to rising water levels in major rivers such as Mechi, Biring, Ninda, Kankai, Chisang, Mawa-Ratuwa, Lohandra, and Bakraha, authorities have issued high alerts for possible floods in surrounding settlements.
In the provincial capital, Biratnagar, heavy rain submerged southern parts of the city. The issue persisted since the second week of May. Even before the monsoon fully sets in, Koshi Province is already facing severe impacts from floods, landslides, and inundation.
Koshi Province, with its diverse topography from hills to plains, suffers from recurring natural and human-induced disasters, including floods, landslides, lightning strikes, and fires. These hazards have caused substantial human and physical losses over the years.
According to the Disaster Management Executive Committee and expert Ram Kumar Dahal, Koshi is now regarded as Nepal’s most disaster-prone province.
Data over the past decade shows that 11,937 disaster events in the province have claimed 1,028 lives and directly affected over 73,000 families. The Provincial Police Office in Biratnagar confirms Koshi is ranked among the highest-risk zones due to geographic factors, climate change, unmanaged urban expansion, and weak infrastructure.
Dahal said repeated disasters continue to severely impact lives and livelihoods in the province. He urged immediate government attention and proactive disaster preparedness.
While disasters cannot be completely avoided, coordinated efforts between the provincial government, local levels, and communities can help reduce their impacts, he said.
He further stated that municipalities and rural municipalities must actively conduct disaster preparedness training, establish early warning systems, and identify safe relocation sites.
“Community participation is crucial. While we can’t prevent disasters, we can reduce their impact through timely action,” he said.
Over 116,000 households at risk
A recent study by Dahal and his team found that 116,818 households across Koshi Province’s 14 districts are at high risk of floods, landslides, or inundation. Of these, 2,466 households need immediate relocation.
The study identified Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa, and Udayapur districts as the most flood-prone. In Morang alone, 42,009 households are vulnerable. Biratnagar Metropolitan City is considered the epicenter of the flood and inundation threat.
In the hills and mountains, landslides are a growing problem. In Panchthar, 3,540 households are at high risk from landslides, followed by Solukhumbu (3,637 households), Sankhuwasabha (2,650), Ilam (1,243 – with 355 in extreme danger), and Taplejung (2,430 – 285 requiring immediate relocation). Hundreds of households in Khotang, Dhankuta, Bhojpur, and Okhaldhunga also face significant landslide threats.
Even three municipalities in the Terai district of Jhapa are now seeing landslide risks, with 180 households affected.
Threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)
Koshi Province also faces the looming risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), similar in magnitude to floods and landslides. If any of the high-risk glacial lakes burst, over 12,706 households would be at direct risk of catastrophic flooding.
Studies by organizations like ICIMOD and UNDP have identified 47 glacial lakes at high risk of bursting across Nepal — 42 of them are in Koshi Province alone, placing the province at the heart of potential future disasters. Dahal noted that if these lakes burst, communities in the Koshi River Basin would be devastated, with Sunsari district alone potentially facing 32% of the total estimated damages.
Given the scale and frequency of natural disasters, Koshi Province is now officially recognized as a “Red Zone” for disaster risk in Nepal.
The terrain, shifting climate, unregulated development, and fragile infrastructure all contribute to its vulnerability.
Despite the growing risks, experts say the provincial government’s disaster response remains insufficient. The role of the government has so far been largely limited to coordination.
Province spokesperson and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Rewati Raman Bhandari, claimed the government has begun preparations for both pre- and post-disaster situations. He said mapping of disaster-prone zones has been completed, and early warning systems such as weather forecasting and flood alerts are being developed to inform the public.
Minister Bhandari added that the government is building coordination mechanisms with security forces and civil society groups for rescue and relief operations and has drafted plans for resource mobilization, including manpower, equipment, and finances.
According to the Disaster Management Division under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, Rs 190.9 million has been allocated for disaster management in the current fiscal year.
Of that, Rs 40 million is earmarked for post-disaster housing, while the remaining budget will go toward rescue efforts, relief distribution, and equipment procurement. Additionally, the province’s disaster fund holds Rs 69 million, and an extra Rs 80 million has been allocated under the relief and rescue program.
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