Nepal flash flood unlikely to pose major threat to UP; 105 Indians among missing tourists

The impact of the increased flow was expected to reach the barrage after around 8 pm on Wednesday.

LUCKNOW: The flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday is unlikely to cause major flooding in Uttar Pradesh, with the Gandak expected to remain below the danger level as the increased flow passes along Maharajganj and Kushinagar before moving into Bihar, a senior irrigation department official said.Speaking to TOI, Vikash Kumar Singh, Chief Engineer-II (Gandak), irrigation department, said there was no immediate reason to panic, though the local district administration and irrigation authorities had been put on alert and officials were deployed at vulnerable sites.“Last year, we successfully passed a discharge of around six lakh cusecs. There is no need to panic this time,” Singh said.Singh said the surge would reach the Valmiki Barrage near the Nepal-Bihar border and subsequently pass along Maharajganj and Kushinagar before proceeding into Bihar. Deoria will not fall in the path of this floodwater, he clarified.

Advisory by Nepal tourism board

According to Singh, a sharp rise was recorded in the Trishuli river, a tributary of the Gandak, on Wednesday morning. At one stage, the water level was rising at around 20 cm per minute. However, the river subsequently began falling rapidly.The impact of the increased flow was expected to reach the barrage after around 8 pm on Wednesday. Singh said mountain rivers have steep gradients, resulting in both rapid rises and falls.As a precaution, canals have temporarily been closed because flash floods from the hills carry large quantities of silt. They will be reopened once the high-silt flow passes.Singh said officials currently do not expect the Gandak to cross the danger level or spill into agricultural fields in Uttar Pradesh. The affected river stretch along UP is roughly 30 km before the flow continues into Bihar.“There is no need to panic. Everyone is prepared, and all our officials are working on the ground,” Singh said.Meanwhile, at least 105 Indian nationals were among hundreds of tourists reported missing following the flash flood in Nepal.According to a preliminary situation update issued by the Nepal Tourism Board on Wednesday, 384 travellers, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals, were reported missing from the affected areas. The board said the information was preliminary and was being verified and cross-checked with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies.

The list includes 59 Indians travelling with Samrat Tours & Travels and another 46 Indians with Leaf Holiday, taking the number of Indians identified in the preliminary missing list to 105. The nationalities of several other foreign travellers were yet to be confirmed.The Nepal Tourism Board said the flash flood struck the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa at around 8.30 am on Wednesday.