Missing After Kheer Ganga: 67 Lost in Dharali Flood

Last year on August 5, flash floods in Kheer Ganga caused extensive destruction in Dharali village. The disaster resulted in the recovery of only two bodies, with 67 individuals, including 25 Nepali citizens, still missing.

The Irrigation Department has initiated plans to redirect the Kheer Ganga, with a detailed proposal for river management including bunds sent for central approval. This involves constructing a approximately 300-meter-long channel to return the river to its pre-disaster course.

However, geologists and environmentalists have voiced concerns that engineered channels could be vulnerable to extreme weather events, potentially leading to increased damage. They argue that natural debris flow deposits are unpredictable and can cause blockages, leading to subsequent overflows.

These experts recommend allowing the Kheer Ganga to naturally follow its post-event course, emphasizing that the priority should be regulating human interventions in sensitive valleys rather than controlling higher Himalayan rivers. They have shared their statement with the National Disaster Management Authority.

Analysis suggests a hanging glacier feeding the river triggered the Dharali disaster. Satellite imagery has indicated signs of a flash flood, with altered river morphology and damage to lives and infrastructure.