KATHMANDU, Sept 29 (Askume) – Nepal has closed schools for three days after two days of heavy rain triggered landslides and floods, officials said on Sunday, leaving 100 people dead and 67 missing in the Himalayan country.
The floods have disrupted transport and normal activities in the Kathmandu Valley, killing 37 people in the capital and region of 4 million people.
Officials said students and their parents were facing difficulties as college and school buildings damaged by rain needed repairs.
“We have requested the relevant authorities to close schools in the affected areas for three days,” Education Ministry spokeswoman Laxmi Bhattarai told Askume.
Parts of the capital received 322.2 millimetres (12.7 inches) of rain, causing the water level of the main Bagmati river to rise 2.2 metres (7 feet) above the danger line, experts said.
But there were some signs of relief on Sunday morning, with less rainfall at many places, said capital-based weather forecaster Govinda Jha.
“There may be rain at some places, but there is no possibility of heavy rain,” he said.
Meteorological department officials in Kathmandu attributed the heavy rains to a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, which extends from Nepal to parts of neighbouring India.
Climate scientists at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) say unplanned development increases the risk of climate change in Nepal.
“I have never seen such huge flooding in Kathmandu before,” said Arun Bhakta Shrestha, an environmental risk officer at the center.
In a statement, it urged governments and city planners to “urgently” increase investment and develop plans for “grey” or engineered and “green” or nature-based infrastructure, such as underground stormwater and sewerage systems.
The impact of rainfall is further aggravated by unplanned settlement and urbanisation efforts, creation of floodplains, lack of water storage areas and poor drainage leading to erosion of the Bagmati river, the report said.
However, the water level of the Koshi river in southeastern Nepal has started falling, said Ram Chandra Tiwari, the top official in the region.
The river, which brings deadly floods to the eastern Indian state of Bihar almost every year, is flowing almost three times above the danger level, he said.
