Western Regional Police Chief Pankaj Shrestha informed that dammed water began to overflow 15 hours after the debris blocked the river. The water level had risen up to 300 meters before the river reclaimed its course.

It took about an hour for the dammed water to arrive at the district headquarters Beni. The water level in the river rose two meters above the normal recorded during monsoon season. Though the flood entered the houses and huts lying along the banks of the river, no untoward incident occurred.  

According to Chief District Officer of Myagdi, Tek Bahadur KC, the situation is out of danger. There was not human casualty and reports of damage to property.  

The inhabitants residing along the river banks have heaved a sigh of relief following the release of the clogged water. The residents of Beni, who moved towards higher grounds for safety, have started returning home.  

According to district President of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Surat KC, who was at the landslide hit area, the water level at the artificial level dropped to normal. The human settlements have not been washed though they were submerged as the river took its own course.

The river water was dammed forming a 100-meter deep and three kilometers long lake following the landslide. It is estimated that nearly 3 million cubic metres water had been collected in the river-turned-lake.

Earlier the authorities asked thousands people living downstream to move to safer areas amid concerns that the river could bring floods in various districts such as Parbat, Syangja, Gulmi, Palpa, Nawalparasi and Chitwan.

Photos and text by Ghanashyam Khadka