Karnali Province
Flood damages under-construction bridge, canals in Salyan
Heavy rain triggers flash floods in Sharada and Darma rivers, causing destruction to infrastructure and obstructing road access.
Biplab Maharjan
At least one under-construction concrete bridge, a drinking water project, traditional water mills and irrigation canals were damaged after heavy rain triggered floods in Salyan district on Sunday evening.
According to the District Police Office, Salyan, the flood in the Sharada River washed away construction materials, including an excavator bucket, iron rods and water pumps at the site of the under-construction bridge.
The water pipes of the Bagchaur drinking water project were also swept away.
The flood occurred near the under-construction bridge along the Bagchaur–Patihalna road section in ward 2 of Bagchaur Municipality, where soil had been heaped in the riverbed for construction work, causing water to accumulate and breach suddenly, said Police Inspector Resham Bahadur Khatri.
Dilli KC, the contractor from Prakritik Nisan JV, which is building the bridge, said that both the structure and construction materials suffered losses.
The flood also damaged a hume pipe, completely blocking the Bagchaur–Patihalna road. The total damage has yet to be assessed.
In Darma Rural Municipality, flooding in the Darma River damaged several irrigation canals and water mills.
Meanwhile, strong winds toppled utility poles, disrupting the electricity supply in some areas.