Kathmandu, 12 Nov: Compared to last year, the loss of life and property during this year’s monsoon season has decreased. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), there were 2,139 disaster incidents in 2081 BS, while this year (2082 BS) the number has dropped to 1,454 incidents.
Last year, 495 people lost their lives in disasters, whereas this year, 140 deaths were recorded. Similarly, 10,823 families were affected last year, but this year, the number of affected families has declined to 5,995. The number of missing persons also decreased from 66 last year to 30 this year, while the number of injured dropped from 522 to 300, according to the authority’s data.
This year, there were 292 flood incidents, 513 landslides, 397 heavy rainfall events, and 252 lightning strikes.
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Floods caused 37 deaths, 26 missing, and 14 injuries, directly affecting 3,200 families.
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Landslides caused 67 deaths, 4 missing, and 77 injuries, affecting 1,518 families.
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Heavy rainfall resulted in 7 deaths, 20 injuries, and affected 966 families.
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Lightning strikes caused 29 deaths, 189 injuries, and affected 311 families.
The monsoon lasted longer than average this year. It entered Nepal on 15th of Jestha 2082 BS, a few days earlier than usual, and lasted 135 days, withdrawing on 24th of Ashoj.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, total rainfall during the monsoon season measured 1,375.4 millimeters, which is 97.23% of the average 1,415.5 millimeters.
Although rainfall was slightly above average, the human and material losses were significantly lower than last year.
Between 17th and 20th of Ashoj, toward the end of the monsoon, 53 people died, with Ilam District being the most affected, recording 39 deaths alone.
The government declared Ilam a disaster crisis area for three months.
In Rasuwa’s Bhotekoshi, a flood on 24th of Asar left 18 people missing, of whom 11 bodies and human remains were later found. The flood washed away the Miteri Bridge at Rasuwagadhi checkpoint, caused billions of rupees in damage to a dry port and three hydropower projects, and swept away 76 cargo vehicles.
At the beginning of the monsoon, the Madhesh Province suffered from drought, leading the government to declare it a drought-affected area for three months on 8th of Saun.
The government attributes the reduction in losses to the implementation of the National Monsoon Preparedness and Response Action Plan 2082, which enabled coordinated efforts across all agencies. A command center, led by the authority’s executive head, was established, operating continuously for 38 hours to coordinate and direct concerned stakeholders.
Ten-Year Record of Disasters
According to the authority:
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2073 BS: 642 disaster incidents; 289 deaths
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2074 BS: 624 incidents; 289 deaths
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2075 BS: 693 incidents; 122 deaths
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2076 BS: 846 incidents; 203 deaths
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2077 BS: 1,015 incidents; 382 deaths
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2078 BS: 737 incidents; 165 deaths
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2079 BS: 712 incidents; 179 deaths
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2080 BS: 891 incidents; 92 deaths
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2081 BS: 2,139 incidents; 495 deaths
These figures show that although the frequency of disasters fluctuated, human casualties in 2082 BS were significantly reduced due to improved preparedness and response mechanisms.
