The blocked 'River of Gold'

Landslide blocks Sun Koshi river, Nepal
Landslide blocks Sun Koshi river, Nepal

In the early hours of Saturday, August 2, 2014 a large landslide struck part of the Sunkoshi river – a tributary of the Ganga – in Nepal. The landslide killed 156 people and affected the livelihoods of countless others. The Nepalese government responded swiftly to the disaster and was careful to manage the large lake that formed upstream of the debris blocking the river.

If the lake had burst, it could have sent a deluge of water downstream, that could affect Bihar. Therefore the government response teams were careful to dismantle the blockage slowly and maintain a steady, controlled flow of the river.

The tragic event illustrated interesting aspects on disaster relief and regional cooperation on transboundary river basins.

A landslide that hit Nepal’s Sunkoshi river on 2 August 2014 killed 156 people and affected the livelihoods of countless others. The debris blocked the river, giving rise to an artificial lake on the upstream.

Wreckage of a school bus damaged in the Sunkoshi landslide.

Nepal policemen put together emergency supplies for those people affected by the Sunkoshi landslide.

A group of Nepalese policemen prepares for a shift of clean-up efforts

The landslide blocked part of the Sunkoshi river creating a large lake. The debris is slowly and carefully dislodged with small explosions of dynamite so as to avoid a sudden deluge if the dam were to be breached from the force of the water building up behind it.

 

Disaster relief team takes shelter from the rain in a partly damaged building, during the rescue mission.

 ‘Disaster tourism’ at the site of the Sunkoshi landslide

Paula Hanasz,  is a passionate  volunteer with India Water Portal, and an International Visiting Fellow doing her Ph.D based on water conflicts, looking at the Himalyan range- Ganga and Bramhaputra.

She is currently travelling across Nepal and had an opportunity to visit the site of the landslide on the Sunkoshi river.

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