Kaligandaki floods hit settlements in three districts

The Kaligandaki river flooded on 11 September, triggering severe losses of life and property across Myagdi, Baglung and Parbat districts. The surging waters swept through local settlements, leaving communities struggling to cope with the sudden destruction of their homes and commercial areas. Farse Bazaar, a trading hub whose commercial activity was sustained for approximately one and a half centuries following the construction of a suspension bridge with iron cables and wood, suffered heavy impacts. Families had previously moved to the market area to participate in trade, and some residents had invested earnings from overseas employment in Iraq to build properties there. Although settlements gradually moved to higher ground after the opening of the Maldhunga-Beni road, Farse Bazaar remained reliant on its historical bridge for local commerce. Residents noted that the river had never previously caused such severe erosion, attributing the extent of the disaster to unregulated excavation work using heavy machinery. Local individuals affected by the disaster have urged state authorities to conduct formal studies into the flooding and immediately halt haphazard excavation practices along the riverbanks. They also emphasized the urgent necessity for the government to implement policies ensuring the relocation of residents living near the river to secure locations before further incidents occur.