Residents of Manang who spent Sunday night in forest shelters after the risk of floods and landslides rose began returning home on Monday morning as the rains eased and river levels fell.

Laxmi Gurung, a resident of Koto in Chame Rural Municipality-3, said she returned home on Monday morning after spending the night in a cave in the forest above Koto.

“We fled towards the forest after the Marsyangdi river was blocked in Chame. We have all returned home now,” she said. “The weather is clear and sunny. The risk is also gradually decreasing.”

Min Rashi Gurung, ward 1 chair of Nason Rural Municipality, said the flow of the river, which had flooded parts of the area, was also receding. Houses submerged on Sunday had begun to reappear, he said, adding that residents who had fled towards the forest were gradually returning to their villages.

Police Inspector Binod Bohara, acting chief of the District Police Office in Manang, said the situation had been improving since Monday morning. The river level had fallen, and the water that had accumulated in Chame was gradually receding, allowing the bridge to become visible again, he said.

“The water level is going down. The bridge has started to become visible. The weather is very good, with bright sunshine, and there have been no new landslides,” Bohara said.

A flood and landslide at Ghatte Khola river on Sunday afternoon partially blocked the Marsyangdi, forming a lake in Chame. After the river was blocked, residents of Chame Bazar and surrounding areas were moved to safer locations.

Residents from Talgaun in Nason Rural Municipality-1 and areas further uphill, including Khotro, Dharapani, Bagarchhap and Dana Kyu, also headed towards the forest in search of safer ground.

Chief District Officer Mukti Prasad Khanal said the lake that formed in Chame had dropped by about one metre compared with Sunday. “The lake that formed yesterday has fallen significantly. It is about one metre lower than yesterday. The river, which was flowing through a narrow channel yesterday, has now begun flowing more freely,” he said.

Khanal said the area remained at risk because of the mud and debris deposited by the Marsyangdi, although the danger was receding. “The sun is shining. There is still some fear that something could happen, but the risk is gradually decreasing,” he said.