NATIONAL 3 -(Spotlight Weekly)

Slithering Menace

The monsoon makes an ominous entry this year, as landslides kill more than a dozen people in a remote north-eastern district

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Even as the country was mourning the deaths of their king and queen, landslides unleashed by the early monsoon rainfall swept houses in the remote Pathibhara and Pawakhola village development committees in the north-western Sankhuwasabha district killed 13 people.

A scene of a landslide : Recurring problem

The heavy downpour on the night of June 6 triggered massive mudslides in different parts of the villages, claiming more than a dozen lives - including four people of the same family. The villagers have said that the mudslides swept away dozens of other people, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

Located in a far-flung area, the villages are cut off from communication. The news of the natural calamity could reach the capital only two days later. Even rescue workers could reach the area quite late. The district administration office has distributed relief money to the families of victims and those who have been rendered homeless.

The hilly regions of the country are prone to landslides during the monsoon season every year. The houses built on the steeps of denuded hills are susceptible to such calamities. As about 68 percent of the countryís area is covered by hills, the landslides are fatal. "The floods and landslides occur as a part of natural phenomenon. But what is important is to find out how to prevent them from taking lives and destroying property," said an environmentalist.

Every year hundreds of people die as flash floods and landslides hit in different parts of the country during the monsoon season from June to September. This year, too, the early signals show that more floods and landslides could be in the offing. As the monsoon will affect the country for another three to four months, the disaster in Sankhuwasabha could be repeated in other parts. However, is the government prepared?

The answer is "no". Much of the governmentís effort is focused on rescue and relief operations. Things like prevention, disaster management, mitigation and rehabilitation are not in the picture.

The landslides last week could not have come at worse moment. The whole country was mourning the tragedy at the royal palace and the authorities were too disturbed to take any quick action to help the victims.

Although the district administration made some rescue and relief attempts, they were too little and too late. But as the country limps back to normalcy after the June 1 palace killings, the government now has to face the long hard monsoon and its calamitous affect on lives and property across the country. The first thing the authorities could do is put rescue workers on red alert and take steps to prevent the loss of lives and property this season.

The months of July and August, generally, mark a peak season for rainfall. Therefore, the government has to be extra-cautious to prevent the heavy loss of lives like that witnessed in 1993 when nearly 500 people died in floods.

In most parts of Nepal, rainfall occurs from mid-June until late September. The average annual rainfall varies depending on altitude and local topography. It ranges from under 250 mm at places in western Nepal north of main Himalayan range to over 5000 mm on the southern slopes of the Himalayas.

During the monsoon season hundreds of watershed swell resulting in the landslides in hills and flash floods in plains. As dark clouds bring ominous signs, the government will have to brace for tough days ahead.