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Teachers en masse contribute to disaster fund of Melamchi municipality

MELAMCHI, June 23: Teachers of Melamchi municipality have donated their three-day salary to the flood and landslide relief and recovery fund set up by the municipality.  Chairperson of Nepal Teachers’ Federation Melamchi Municipality Committee, Shiva Prasad Dhungana informed that the teachers’ three-day salary amounting to Rs  1,136,839 was deposited to the fund.  The recent floods and landslides in Melamchi and Indrawati Rivers had inflicted big loss of lives and properties in Helambu, Melamchi and Panchpokhari. The floods had buried hundreds of houses and also caused human loss. The natural hazards had also triggered damage to Terse secondary school located at Melamchi-6.  Dhungana said they have contributed to the municipality-instituted fund realizing their duty to support to the survivors and the municipality in the troubled times.  Likewise, Hutaraj Ardhachandra Janahitkari Sanstha deposited Rs 100,000 to the fund, informed its secretary Sudarshan Pandey. 

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Helambu appeals for disaster relief support

Helambu Rural Municipality has requested assistance from the provincial government after the floods in Melamchi river caused more damage.

Nepalnews श्रावण २०८०

Helambu appeals for disaster relief support

Helambu Rural Municipality has requested assistance from the provincial government after the floods in Melamchi river caused more damage.

Nepalnews श्रावण २०८०

Implementation of minimum standards in disaster response stressed

KOHALPUR, Dec 3: Emphasis has been given on the implementation of minimum humanitarian standards in disaster response efforts. Participants of a training programme on humanitarian standards organized here by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Center (NDRC) were of the view that it was essential to enhance the knowledge, skills and efficiency of government, non-government and private organisations working in the humanitarian service sector. The programme was supported by the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP). Inaugurating the programme, APP national representative Man Thapa talked about global endevours in regard with minimum standards required in disaster relief and rescue operations and works that Nepal was expected to launch in the related field. He said, “As Nepal is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, the basic humanitarian aspects of the affected community should be assimilated.” A total of 35 representatives from Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudur Paschim Provinces attended the three-day event which discussed about theoretical and applied knowledge about disaster, related guidelines and standards issued by government bodies, and practices implemented by several countries. Disaster expert Sunil Shakya facilitated the session on the minimum humanitarian standards and the 'Sphere standards'. It may be noted that the Sphere Project known as the Sphere aims to enhance the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster response human rescue efforts. It was launched in 1997. NDRC programme director Suresh Thapa and programme officer Krishna Ghimire were the facilitators of the programme while Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) Chief Reporter Krishna Adhikari briefed the gathering about the implementation of minimum human standards during the rescue and relief efforts following the Melamchi flood in June

Ratopati English कार्तिक २०७८

Melamchi flood sweeps away 17 more houses

SINDHUPALCHOWK, Aug 1: Seventeen houses and huts in Helambu and Melamchi of Sindhupalchowk were washed away by the flooded Melamchi River last night. According to the District Police Office, the incessant rains for some days triggered the flood.  Of them, nine are cemented residences, DPO's Superintendent of Police, Rajan Adhikari, said.  Earlier, Melamchi bazaar was devastated by the flood on June 15. Even the structures where the flood caused depositions of mud and other materials were swept away by last night's disaster.  The structures were however vacant since the June 15 disaster.  The river has washed away the Rato Bridge at Chanaute. According to local resident Hasta Pandit, the bridge collapsed at 7:45 this morning. The bridge was the only way connecting Melamchi-7 and 8, Panchpokhari 1 and 2 and many wards of Helambu. With the collapse of the bridge, traffic in the area has been closed. The floods have also washed away a suspension bridge at Gyalthum. According to Rajan Adhikari, Superintendent of Police, District Police Office, Sindhupalchowk, Gyalthum bazaar is also at risk due to rising water level in the river. The river has changed its regular course and swept away the kitchen of Talamarang Police Beat.  Helambu Rural Municipality Chair Nima Gyaljen said no bridges above the Melamchi bazaar were left by the flood.  No vehicle could reach Helambu from Melamchi as the landslides have hit the Helambu Highway at different points, Melamchi Mayor Dambar Aryal said.

Ratopati English आषाढ २०७८

Melamchi flood survivors meet PM Deuba, requesting for relief

KATHMANDU, July 26: Flood survivors from Melamchi of Sindhupalchowk district today called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, seeking the role of government in the prevention and management of possible disaster in the future.  They have demanded the government immediately construct an embankment to the river so that potential incidents of the river-based disasters could be avoided.  A delegation of the survivors led by Sagar Kumar Shrestha reached the Prime Minister's official residence, Baluwatar to apprise the Prime Minister of their issues.  The government has been urged to restore the river to its original course, to manage soil to mend the damaged houses and farm and to bring an economic package targeting those survivors who have lost homes, jobs and their business to the devastating flood that occurred in the second week of June. Similarly, a demand has been put for waiving off interest of bank loans of traders affected by the flood .A short-term and long-term relief package has been sought for peasants, business community and students.  More, the prompt management of a Bailey at Melamchi and Healmbu, discount on electricity tariff, implementation of a greater project for the reconstruction of the flood-hit areas, proper compensation to the bereaved families including jobs are other demands put forth by the delegation before the Prime Minister.  After hearing from the delegation, Prime Minister Deuba said he was updated about the Melamchi flood and damages caused by it and was highly serious towards the demands.  Sindhupalchowk district is one of the districts largely affected by the 2015 April 25 earthquake. Helambu rural municipality, Melamchi municipality and Panch Pokhari Thangpaal rural municipality suffered wider implications of the flood occurred in the aftermath of the incessant rain in the night of June 15.

Ratopati English आषाढ २०७८

Ravaged Melamchi Bazaar wants to revive

MELAMCHI, July 11: Chairperson of ward no 11 in Melamchi Municipality, Rudra Dulal, is now busy collecting the details on loss of physical properties at Melamchi bazaar. He is worried how the people in Melamchi bazaar can be provided rehabilitation. Melamchi bazaar was ravaged by the flood three weeks back. The bazaar area is now changed into pile of sand. All physical structures are damaged.  The massive floods trigged with rainfall and landslide also damaged a historic bridge, constructed by Chandra Shumsher.  “Due to information shared early on the floods in Indrawati area above Melamchi bazaar on time, the human loss was however averted luckily,” Dulal remembered, adding that the people’s houses, hotels and restaurants and municipality offices and structures perished in the massive flood.  The police made aware the people in the market area via miking in the evening after the information was relayed about the floods in the Indrawati River. June 15 is inerasable in his mind. After the police miking, people left their houses even without taking the evening meal they had made ready. They left the bazaar for safe places. Throughout the night, they stayed in a local school. They were provided meals by the Nepal Army that night. “When it was next morning, entire bazaar area was covered with flood sludge. The river had entered the bazaar. We could not image it,” he explained the disaster. In his ward, as many as 140 houses are damaged fully and 42 at high risk. Those who left houses on the eve of disaster are now searching rooms in rent.  The Municipality has decided to provide room fare to 200 households for two months. He further said the people want concrete houses rather than temporary settlement. Similarly, Mayor at Melamchi Municipality, Dambar Bahadur Aryal, said although the municipality could provide some relief to the disaster survivors, both the province and federal governments should provide assistance for sustainable solution.  The municipality has filled the forms to send these to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to ascertain the beneficiaries, he added. Ten excavators are used by the municipality to return the Melamchi and Indrawati Rivers to their original course and remove the debris.  The ravaged Melamchi wants its revival with assistance from all sides, he added.

Ratopati English जेष्ठ २०७८

At least three months to take to restore Melamchi-Kathmandu water supply system

KATHMANDU, July 9: It seems to take at least three months to restore the Melamchi to Kathmandu Valley water supply system.  The Melamchi Drinking Water Project sets a target of bringing about waters from the Sindhupalchowk-based Melamchi River up to Sundarijal by mid-October.  The Committee is to undertake the related works in collaboration with the local levels and other related bodies.   The project was largely damaged by the recent devastating flood from the river. Access roads to the project, bridge and some structures at the construction side had been damaged by the disaster in mid-June, the Committee said. According to Committee information officer Rajendra Prasad Pant, they set a target of restoring the water supply system if a temporary access to the project could be made by re-opening the track and placing a Bailey bridge.  But the Committee is not sure whether the target could be met as the risk of future damages to be caused by monsoon still prevails.  "If we could reach the headwork by mid-September, mud and other depositions caused by the flood inside the tunnel would be cleared off next months.  The time to restore the supply system could take long if there is havoc by the flood," he said.   The Chinese construction company, Sino Hydro, has been carrying out the remaining works of the project. Among the construction of the structures like the tunnel, headwork and the water treatment centre, only the works of the head works remain. The project has categorized the repair works to be carried out into two categories – works to be carried out immediately and works to be done in long-term. Construction and repair of the approach road comes under the immediate work. Project information officer Panta said it is estimated that Rs 1 billion would be required for the repair works. As he said works like construction of the road and bridge and clearing the road up to the headwork should be done immediately to supply water from Melamchi river in Sindhupalchok to Sundarijal of Kathmandu. Three bodies under the federal government, namely the department of Roads, Nepali Army and the Melamchi Water Supply Project Board are linked to it as the road and the bridges have to be repaired. The road leading to the project site should be made operational at the earliest with the support of the local level. For the time being, transport would be operated by constructing a Bailey bridge immediately. A concrete bridge would be constructed for the long-term.

Ratopati English जेष्ठ २०७८

Flood-hit Melamchi trying to regain normalcy (with photos)

SINDHUPALCHOWK, June 23: Massive floods triggered by incessant rainfall wreaked havoc at Melamchi bazaar and other surrounding areas in Sindhupalchowk district a week ago.  As many as 200 households were displaced and scores of houses and buildings were swept away, buried and damaged by the flood. Huge loss of property has been reported. The officials are yet to disclose the details. Both the road and communication network have got disconnected.  Sabitra Adhikari was one of those who have not only lost their property but also the dear ones. She is not taking shelter at a local school. Sixty other families are now at the school after being displaced by the disaster.  Melamchi folks have now tried to return to normalcy. Some locals were seen busy extracting their belongings from the houses buried by the stones and mud carried by the Malmchi flood when this reporter reached there on Wednesday afternoon.  Local administration is also distributing relief materials to the affected ones on the basis of their needs while temporary tent houses are being set up at the open space to relocate the displaced ones.  See the pictures taken on Wednesday afternoon.

Ratopati English जेष्ठ २०७८

Melamchi Water Supply Project suffers damage worth Rs 1 billion due to disaster

KATHMANDU, June 23: The landslide triggered by incessant rainfall last week has caused damage worth more than one billion rupees to the Melamchi Water Supply Project structures. Other structures of the project except the main structures – the tunnel and headwork – have been damaged while the shelters for the project staff and the construction materials have been washed away. The project technicians have not been able to reach Ambathan till date, Project Information Officer Rajendra Prasad Panta said. Although a team of the project including Divisional Engineer had set out for Ambathan on Tuesday to make an assessment of the damage, it has not been able to reach there. It is difficult to reach Ambathan as a bridge over the Melamchi River and the road to Ambathan has been swept away.  "According to preliminary estimates, the rest of the structures except the tunnel and headwork have suffered much damage," Panta said. He added that sand, aggregates and other construction materials kept at the construction site as well as the storage structure have all been washed away by the flooded Melamchi stream. The accommodation camp set up for the residential workers at the construction site, water supply structure and toilet at the camp were swept away. The flooded rivulet also swept away the equipment of the construction entrepreneurs. Project Information Officer Panta said the physical damage and the financial loss due to this apart, it will take more time to clear up the site of the debris deposited by the landslide and flood. "We have not been able to guess how long it will take to clear up the debris and carry out the repair and maintenance works," he said. Spokesperson Panta said it was going to be difficult to carry out works at the construction site as the flood has swept away the road and the bridge. According to him, the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation is facilitating the repair works and the remaining works of the project. He shared that a Bailey bridge could be immediately installed and the repair and maintenance works started at the project site if the Prime Minister's Office directed the bodies concerned for the same. The project is making initiatives for re-opening the road in coordination with the local bodies and local level wards there. Although the main structures have not been damaged, sand, silt and pebbles have been deposited in the audit tunnel at Ambathan, and this needs to be removed immediately. Panta stressed that first it was necessary to repair the approach road in order to carry out a trial of the tunnel. As he said, the approach road and the bridge have to be constructed to clear up the project's audit tunnel that has been blocked by the debris. "We have been consulting with the Army and the Department of Roads regarding the construction of the bridge and the road," Panta added. According to him, how long it will take to supply water from Melamchi to Kathmandu depends on the extent of the damage caused to the headwork and the duration it takes to repair it. He estimated that it will take two to two and half months for this. Panta shared that the damage to the project structures has definitely prolonged the project completion time since the project was not completed and works to that end were in progress.

Ratopati English जेष्ठ २०७८

Ground Zero: Flood ravaged Melamchi area in photos

SINDHUPALCHOWK, June 16: Melamchi area in Sindhupalchowk district, that lies to the north-east of the Kathmandu Valley, has reported massive devastation due to incessant rain-triggered floods on Tuesday night.  Overflowing Indrawati River inundated Melamchi Bazaar and swept dozens of houses. At least seven local people from the district’s Helambu village have gone missing and many people are feared dead due to the disaster. Here are some photos taken by Ratopati photojournalist Subash Shrestha at the flood affected area in Melamchi.

Ratopati English जेष्ठ २०७८

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