बाढीपछि उजाडियो सेतीवेणी
PARBAT, Oct 3.
Following midnight warnings of rising water levels in the Kali Gandaki River, police personnel at the local Setibeni Police Post were instructed to evacuate with essential documents to safer ground. Shortly after police alerted nearby residents to flee, floodwaters from the Kali Gandaki River and Seti Khola inundated the Setibeni market area.
According to local residents, nine houses were swept away and nearly 50 houses submerged on the Parbat side. The adjoining market area in Galyang Municipality–5 of Syangja was also fully inundated, with around 25 temporary and permanent houses swept away, reducing the area to a bank of sand and gravel. Resham Lal Neupane, a local resident, reflected, “Looking at the state of the area compared to just a few days ago feels like a nightmare. It is hard to believe how this happened.”
The floodwaters submerged the local police post, grocery stores, electronics shops, fancy clothing stores, hotels, Nesdo Sambridha Laghubitta, and various local cooperatives. Neupane estimated the physical damage on the Parbat side alone to be around NPR 100 million.
A mobile shop entrepreneur from Arbeni, Gulmi, operating in Setibeni, reported losses of approximately NPR 3 million. Ravi Bhattarai, 70, shared that he had never witnessed such severe flooding in the market area during his lifetime.
Local hotel operator Umakanta Neupane, who suffered over NPR 4 million in losses including his house, expressed despair: “We have no land elsewhere to relocate to, forcing us to stay despite the risks. A lifetime’s earnings turned to rubble overnight.” He and his family are currently taking refuge at a local school.
Bihadi Rural Municipality has arranged food and temporary shelter for flood victims at Shaligram Secondary School.
On the Syangja side, the market area was left in ruins, with about 25 houses suffering minor to severe damage. Wholesale merchant Khim Prasad Poudel noted that goods worth over NPR 5 million were swept away. Ghanshyam Bhattarai, Ward Chairperson of Galyang Municipality–5, stated that property and belongings worth more than NPR 150 million were lost in Syangja alone, excluding damage to physical structures. The flood also damaged local temples, public shelters (sattal), and the footpaths leading to the sacred Shaligram stone. Local authorities and the District Administration Office of Syangja have begun distributing food and clothing to victims.
With years of investments and hard work washed away, affected residents find themselves displaced, unemployed, and uncertain whether to rebuild in the high-risk area or relocate elsewhere. Pashupati Basyal, Principal of Shaligram Secondary School, noted that the community remains in deep dilemma regarding their future settlement and safety.
