Flood Risk in Kathmandu Continues to Rise

Kathmandu – In the past, when floods and landslides struck, people in Kathmandu would call their relatives back in their home districts to check on their safety. But this year, the situation is reversed, with villagers calling Kathmandu to ask: "We've heard Kathmandu is underwater, how are you?"

From Thursday to Saturday, heavy rainfall battered the Kathmandu Valley, leading to floods that prompted calls not only from villages but from Nepalis abroad as well. Many were concerned about the capital’s safety. However, residents of Kathmandu assured their relatives, saying, "Floods have affected areas near the Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara rivers, but where we live, it’s fine. Sadly, the squatter settlements along the riverbanks are badly affected."

It’s widely believed that Kathmandu, being the federal capital, is safe from major floods and landslides. The city has no large rivers like the Koshi or Gandaki, and there are no hills surrounding it that would trigger landslides. Many also assume that, being the capital, rescue and relief operations would be swift. Yet, the recent floods have exposed the weakness in the government’s response system, as people were seen waiting hours for rescue while stranded on rooftops by the river.

Over the past three days, the Kathmandu Valley has suffered heavy damage due to the relentless rain. By Sunday afternoon, police reports confirmed that 165 people had died nationwide, with 55 missing in floods and landslides. Between Saturday and Sunday alone, 65 deaths were recorded, with 28 of them occurring within the Kathmandu Valley. These include 9 fatalities in Kathmandu, 14 in Lalitpur, and 5 in Bhaktapur. Additionally, 17 people are still missing from these three districts, and 159 people were rescued from Kathmandu, with 4 rescued from Lalitpur.

So, how did a city like Kathmandu, considered relatively safe from such disasters, suffer so much damage? Locals attribute it to settlements encroaching on rivers like the Manohara, Bagmati, and Bishnumati. These settlements have blocked the natural flow of the rivers, leading to severe flooding.

But it’s not just the squatter settlements along the riverbanks that have been affected. Even large, unauthorised buildings on prime land weren’t spared from the floods. In Lalitpur, the headquarters of the ruling party, CPN-UML, was submerged. The alternative stadium in Chyasal saw a river run through it, and Lalitpur’s Medicity Hospital had its laboratory and patient wards flooded. These incidents show that the flood issue is not just limited to squatter settlements, but also affects areas with unauthorised constructions.

How Many Squatter Settlements Exist in the Valley?

According to the Bagmati Integrated Development Committee, there are 3,496 squatter households along the riverbanks of Kathmandu Valley. Of these, 2,170 are in Kathmandu alone, with 90 located in Kageshwori Manohara and 156 in Budhanilkantha. Lalitpur has 17 squatter households in the metropolitan city and 215 in Godavari Municipality. Bhaktapur is home to 773 squatter families.

These settlements continue to encroach on river areas as the government struggles to manage them. In an attempt to resolve this, the government has built 230 homes in Ichangunarayan for squatter families. However, due to protests from local residents, these homes remain unoccupied.

Ignoring Safety Standards

In 2008, the government issued guidelines to prevent encroachment on riversides. The guidelines state that no structures should be built within 20 meters of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara rivers, and 4 meters from other rivers. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that an additional 20 meters should be left unoccupied along the rivers, reinforcing the need for wider buffer zones. This decision has been challenged by the government, but the recent flooding has proven that these precautions are necessary for safety.

The floods have once again highlighted the growing risks in Kathmandu, calling for urgent measures to protect both squatter and authorised settlements from future disasters.