Five people were rescued by security personnel and the flood damaged the settlement and livestock. However, no human casualties were reported.

This is not the first time the river inundated the settlement. The settlements are affected every year when stones and logs swept by the floods block the narrow outlet of the river in Ramghat, causing the river to overflow.

According to geologist Prof Krishna KC, it is absurd to keep on letting the river inundate the area and damage properties. “The state should find an alternative to the problem, putting an end to the fiasco once and for all,” KC said.  According to experts, as the ground beneath the surface is weak it won’t be long before the occurrence of a major accident. The failure of the Sub-Metropolis, Town Development Committee (TDC) and District Administration Office (DAO) to control the rampant encroachment of public land by constructing buildings, drainage, toilets among other illegal activities in the area have further weakened the surface, experts said. “As the geographical condition of the ground beneath the surface 100 metres on either side of the river is unstable, construction of any kind of structure within 50 metres is unsafe,” KC said.

“The recurrence of the flood is the direct consequence of the failure of the concerned authorities to manage the river,” said Bishnu Bastola, chairperson of the TDC. Meanwhile, spokesperson Ananta Koirala of the sub-metropolis said the failure of the Sub-Metropolis to clamp down on the encroachment led to the situation.

Although a joint survey conducted by the Department of Mines and Geology and a German organisation 15 years ago had submitted a report to the TDC stating that construction of infrastructures 75 metres on either side of the river should be barred, the chairperson of the committee has not paid attention to it.

According to Bastola, the standards set for construction of infrastructures are 10 metres in the area surrounding Laltin bazaar to KI Singh Bridge, 5 metres in Mahendrapul, and 25 metres from Ranipauwa to Ratopahiro. Experts, however, say the set standards are unscientific and hazardous. KC argued that the standard should be at least 50 metres from the river banks to ensure safety of people.

KC said that the government could instead turn the area into a tourist attraction by constructing a huge lake in Ramghat, and provide the tourists a glimpse of the river flowing underneath the city. “It would not only mitigate the risk to human lives but also help the state earn revenue,” KC said.  Chief District Officer Krishna Bahadur Raut said it was high-time that they sought a permanent solution to the problem and resettle the squatters.