E-Paper
Can’t rule out threat of flooding, says Nepali army
Four days after a massive landslide blocked Sun Kosi river in Nepal, the threat of large scale flooding if the artificial dam breaks still remained, though it was highly unlikely in the current scenario.
Four days after a massive landslide blocked Sun Kosi river in Nepal, the threat of large scale flooding if the artificial dam breaks still remained, though it was highly unlikely in the current scenario.
The landslide had blocked flow of the river and created a large lake spread over nearly 4 km. On Monday, the Nepali army carried out two more controlled explosions at the site in a bid to clear the blockade.
“Since there is threat to areas lying downstream, we are taking care to ensure that the water is allowed to flow in a controlled manner to reduce possibility of further destruction,” said an army release.
If the dam breaks or the blockade is removed suddenly, there is threat of large scale flooding in five districts lying downstream in Nepal and several parts of north Bihar. A team of Indian experts who visited the site on request from the Nepal government appreciated the measures taken by the Nepali Army.
“Besides the explosions, we are also taking use of dozers and excavators to remove debris from the site and search for missing people,” said Gopal Prasad Parajuli, chief development officer of Sindhupalchowk district.
