Incessant Rain Causes Widespread Damage, Rs 100 Million in Losses from Embankment Breaches: MOEWRI

Disasters triggered by incessant rainfall from the evening of October 3 to the morning of October 5 have caused widespread damage across Nepal.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MOEWRI) on Sunday, October 5, estimated preliminary losses from embankment breaches at nearly Rs 100 million, with a total breach length of about 1,500 metres.

In Gauriganj Rural Municipality‑2 of Jhapa, the Kankai River breached around 200 metres of embankment near the Hulaki Highway, inundating 114 houses and agricultural land in Hokalbari village and damaging some 500 hectares of paddy fields. The same river breached another 200 metres of embankment in Kuwadi of Jhapa Rural Municipality‑2, affecting about 25 hectares of farmland with estimated losses of Rs 7.5 million.

The Mechi River also caused damage at multiple points, with losses estimated at around Rs 5 million. Flooding from the Kesaliya River in Biratnagar Metropolitan City‑6 and‑12 submerged 75 households, forcing displacement. In Siraha, the Kamala River damaged the Patruwa embankment, with losses estimated at Rs 2.5 million.

In Rautahat, the Lalbakaiya River breached approximately 180 metres of embankment in Maulapur and Baudimai, inundating about 300 hectares of paddy land and submerging 200 houses and cattle sheds, resulting in damages worth around Rs 6 million.

Similarly, in Mahottari, the Ratu River breached a total of 890 metres of embankment across Balwa, Loharpatti, Ratbara, and Jaleshwar, causing damages estimated at Rs 80 million. The breach has put Jaleshwar, the district headquarters, under high flood risk.

On the irrigation front, timely operations of gates in various projects prevented major structural damage. However, flooding near the Jhajh Irrigation System submerged Mohammadpur village, while streams within the Sunsari‑Morang, Bagmati, and Narayani irrigation projects eroded fertile farmland. Floodwaters in the Sunkoshi River also inundated the dam site of the under‑construction Sunkoshi‑Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project, though the exact condition of structures, including the cofferdam, remains unclear.

Meanwhile, at least 37 people have died due to landslides in Ilam. Detailed assessments of damage are still underway, the ministry said.