South AsiaLiveNepal flood death toll crosses 950; hundreds remain trapped in tunnels

Nepal is facing one of its worst natural disasters over recent years after devastating flash floods swept through areas along the Bhote Koshi river near the Nepal-China border on August 26, killing hundreds of individuals and leaving hundreds more missing.

Key points

• The pilgrims had crossed into China for the 'Parikrama' on August 21 and 22, days before the flash floods struck Nepal on August 26.
• 39 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims from Tamil Nadu safely return to India after Nepal floods.
• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure estimates that infrastructure worth $124 billion in Nepal is exposed to climate-driven disasters.
• Workers have been clearing thick mud from a flood-ravaged power station in central Nepal as authorities work to restore electricity to more than 20, 000 individuals.
• We crossed the Kerung Bridge (Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border) on the 21st.

09: 53 (IST) Sep 01. Climate change raises risks for Himalayan hydropower.

In practice, the disaster has renewed reservations over the vulnerability of Himalayan infrastructure as the region warms. Climate experts remarked accelerating glacier loss, degrading permafrost, unstable slopes, glacial lakes and increasingly erratic rainfall are raising the risks of floods, landslides and debris flows throughout the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

Notably, the stakes are particularly high for Nepal, where hydropower is central to the electricity system as well as economic expansion and export revenues. Much of the country's hydropower is run-of-river, meaning plants are concentrated along steep river corridors where land is limited and multiple hazards can rapidly compound. 09: 26 (IST) Sep 01. Floods force pilgrims to take alternate route back to India.

In practice, the return journey became tough after the floods destroyed the route the pilgrims had originally planned to take. Another pilgrim, Yogesh, described the extent of the destruction and remarked villages and immigration facilities along the route had been swept away.

"There were 39 individuals in our group; we kicked off the journey from our village. Our route was to Kerung; from that route, we reached Mansarovar. While returning, the accident took place. Everything was taken away by the flood, immigration was affected, and none of the villages was left, " he informed ANI.

Yogesh remarked the pilgrims were subsequently diverted through another route with assistance from the Chinese administration. It escorted them to the border. The Nepal administration then assisted escort them towards India with assistance from the Tamil Nadu and central governments. 09: 26 (IST) Sep 01.

Meanwhile, a group of 39 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims from Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, safely returned to India on Monday after being diverted to an alternate route when devastating flash floods in Nepal destroyed roads and infrastructure along their original return journey.

Notably, the pilgrims had crossed into China for the 'Parikrama' on August 21 and 22, days before the flash floods struck Nepal on August 26. Gomati Vijaykumar, one of the pilgrims, remarked the group had already crossed the Kerung Bridge before the disaster and therefore did not face any immediate difficulties.

"We did not face any problems. We crossed the Kerung Bridge (Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border) on the 21st. The accident happened on the 26th. So we did not face any problems. As per the program, we came. We didn't see any witness and any places either (after the incident). Since we had crossed the place before. After that, we came from another way, " she remarked. 09: 22 (IST) Sep 01. Experts urge Nepal to prioritise continuity over rebuilding identical structures.

Disaster experts remarked reconstruction should focus on making essential services more resilient rather than simply replacing damaged structures. "If it gets damaged, let it get damaged, but can we build in redundancy in the system?" remarked Ramraj Narasimhan, a senior director with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Such measures could include relocating projects to safer sites, creating alternative transport routes, installing backup power and strengthening early warning systems. Experts additionally recommended insurance and detailed risk assessments covering unstable slopes, river bends and locations where a single infrastructure failure could isolate a number of communities.

In practice, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure estimates that infrastructure worth $124 billion in Nepal is exposed to climate-driven disasters. While its national disaster funds are only a fraction of that amount, the country suffers average annual disaster-related losses of almost $760 million, according to a coalition report. 09: 09 (IST) Sep 01. Nepal faces call to rebuild infrastructure for resilience.

Meanwhile, the scale of the destruction has raised questions over how Nepal should rebuild hydropower plants, roads, bridges, schools and health facilities without leaving them exposed to similar disasters. "Authorities have to take a hard look in the mirror now and ask how they will be rebuilding in these places. They will additionally have to take a close look at other projects in Nepal that have not been built yet, whether they'll be approved after this event, " stated Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz in Austria.

Hydropower projects operating or under construction were fully or partly destroyed throughout Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, among the worst-hit districts. Hundreds of workers from a dozen hydropower projects remain unaccounted for, according to the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal. Authorities stated some workers had taken shelter in tunnels but remained trapped while awaiting rescue. 09: 00 (IST) Sep 01. Nepal flood exposes risks to hydropower as rebuilding challenge looms.

Workers have been clearing thick mud from a flood-ravaged power station in central Nepal as authorities work to restore electricity to more than 20, 000 individuals. The floods that swept through Nepal and China, killing hundreds and leaving thousands missing, have additionally damaged hydropower facilities, knocking out around 10% of Nepal's power generation capacity.

For now, south AsiaLiveNepal flood death toll crosses 950; hundreds remain trapped in tunnels remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.