- Continuous heavy rainfall has flooded settlements near the Narayani and Saptakoshi rivers, displacing hundreds of families across Nepal’s Tarai region.
- Security forces are evacuating residents to temporary shelters, while local authorities provide food and emergency relief to those affected by the rising waters.
- Landslides and erosion have blocked or damaged major highways, including the Prithvi and BP routes, severely disrupting transportation and stalling repair efforts.
- Ongoing rain hampers rescue operations and road clearing, with authorities warning of continued risks from saturated soil and unstable riverbanks.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Heavy rain since Wednesday has caused floods and landslides in several parts of Nepal, affecting settlements in the Tarai and disrupting major highways.
The Narayani and Saptakoshi rivers have risen sharply after continuous rainfall. Floodwater has entered hundreds of houses, forcing families to move to safer places.
In Susta Rural Municipality of Nawalparasi West, 172 families have been moved to higher ground after the Narayani entered settlements. In Ward 5, water has entered 271 houses and animal sheds. In some houses, the water has risen to about three feet.
The Armed Police Force border security post in Susta was also surrounded by floodwater on Saturday evening.
“We had been involved in rescuing villagers affected by the flooding in Susta yesterday and today. Now we are ourselves surrounded by floodwater and are trying to cross the Narayani to reach the other side,” said APF Inspector Manoj Karki. “The problem is how to cross the river safely.”
The displaced families have been taken to three temporary holding centres on higher ground. The Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been helping with the evacuation.
Children, older people and families living in more exposed areas were moved first. But some residents were reluctant to leave because they were worried about their cattle and stored food.
“The settlement is flooded and it is no longer possible to stay inside the houses,” said Mansi Kumar, a local resident. “But most people do not want to cross the Narayani because they are worried about their livestock and food.”
Susta has about 310 families. The Narayani borders the settlement to the north and west, while India lies to the south. The road leading to the suspension bridge has been submerged, leaving boats as the main means of transport.
“The only way to reach the suspension bridge now is by boat,” said Rabindra Jaiswal, another resident.
Nawalparasi West Chief District Officer Dipak Raj Nepal said people were moved because the river level was still rising.
Flooding and erosion are not new problems for Susta. Rural municipality chair Tek Narayan Upadhyay said the area is affected almost every year.
“Susta is hit by every flood,” he said. According to him, local authorities have repeatedly asked successive governments for a permanent solution. He estimated that at least Rs5 billion would be needed to build embankments and other protective structures.
Saptakoshi floods homes
In Saptari, the Saptakoshi river has flooded 217 houses. Seventeen houses in Wards 4 and 5 of Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality and about 200 houses in Hanumannagar Kankalini have been affected.
Residents said the water entered their homes suddenly and damaged stored food.
Children and elderly people were moved to the western embankment of the Koshi. Some families are staying there under tarpaulins.
Hanumannagar Kankalini-12 was among the badly affected areas, with about 80 houses flooded. Police said 60 families in wards 5 and 7 and another 60 houses in Gobargadha Ward 13 were also affected.
The local government has been providing food to displaced families.
“We have arranged meals until the flood recedes enough for them to return home,” said Hanumannagar Kankalini Mayor Birendra Majhi.
Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality has been distributing beaten rice and other ready-to-eat food to affected families.
Disaster management officer Rajesh Jha said all families considered at risk had been moved to the embankment.
Highways remain blocked
The rain has also caused problems on several major highways.
Traffic on the Prithvi Highway was restricted at Krishnabhir after another landslide blocked the road. The section had reopened only 18 days after the Trishuli River eroded part of the highway on August 30.
Landslides have also been reported at Chaukibhir, Jawangkhola and Fishling.
Sajana Adhikari, chief of the western section of the Nagdhunga-Muglin Road Project, said stranded vehicles at Krishnabhir were allowed to move after workers temporarily cleared the debris.
But the road remains unsafe.
“Sludge and soil are still flowing from above the newly opened track, and the risk of another landslide remains,” Adhikari said.
Vehicles were allowed to pass after the rain stopped for a short time, but the highway has not been fully reopened.
The Malekhu-Mugling road has also been damaged. At Dharapani, two sections of the road, each about 20 metres long, have subsided within a 70-metre stretch. Vehicles are being allowed to pass through a single lane.
“The Trishuli is eroding the road from below, and with rain continuing, we cannot immediately rebuild it,” Adhikari said.
The BP Highway has been closed since Friday. Temporary road diversions built across the Roshi River were washed away at several places, including Mamti, Piple, Daunne-Kalopul, Charsayabesi, Katunje and Chaukidanda.
Road crews have been clearing landslides and looking for ways to reopen the highway.
“The temporary diversions at three locations along the Piple-Barkhekhola section have been washed away,” said Suman Yogesh, chief of the Bhaktapur Road Division.
A 3.2-kilometre section of the Piple-Barkhekhola road is being rebuilt with a Rs2.6 billion grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project is expected to be completed by mid-December 2027.
Other roads, including the Kanti Highway, Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway, Kaligandaki Corridor, Karnali Highway, Rapti Highway, Siddhartha Highway and Tamor Corridor, have also been affected by landslides.
Rain keeps the risk high
The continuing rain is making road repairs and rescue work difficult.
Shuvaraj Neupane, deputy director general and spokesperson for the Department of Roads, said workers could reopen blocked roads when the rain eased.
“New landslides keep occurring as rain continues,” Neupane said. “Opening roads while the rain persists carries a risk of further landslides.”
Heavy rain can saturate the soil and weaken slopes, increasing the chance of landslides. Strong river flows can also erode riverbanks and damage roads, houses and temporary structures.
Low-lying areas of the Tarai face additional risks when rivers carrying water from the hills rise quickly.
If the rain weakens, river levels should gradually fall and road crews can resume repair work. But some areas may remain at risk even after the rain stops because the ground is already saturated and riverbanks have been weakened.
For people living along rivers and unstable slopes, the immediate concern remains getting through the rain safely and returning home when the water goes down.
