9 July 2019

The Budhiganga River landslide: just one of many landslide challenges in Nepal as the monsoon develops

Posted by Dave Petley

The Budhiganga River landslide: just one of many landslide challenges in Nepal as the monsoon develops

The monsoon is developing rapidly in South Asia now, with landslide fatalities being recorded in India and Bangladesh in the last few days.  The forecast for the east of Nepal and parts of North India is quite concerning over the coming week; we should expect to see some serious disruption. To illustrate the magnitude of the challenges, The Himalayan Times has an article about a landslide on the Budhiganga River, in Bajura District in Nepal.  This landslide, which is just one of many such slides across Nepal, has developed rapidly in the last couple of years.  The Himalayan Times describes the situation as follows:-

Risk of Budhiganga River blockage has increased due to incessant rainfall following landslide at Dwari of Bajura district….Locals have been terrified as the risk of landslides from Paima of Tribeni to Akkot of Budhiganga has increased.  Mayor Ram Singh Rawal of Tribeni Municipality said the landslides occurred with the onset of monsoon. “Landslides have been occurring continuously in big river areas,” he added. Rawal informed that Budhiganga might be blocked anytime if the situation remained the same. He said the villagers were warned to remain alert after the risk of the river blockage increased.

This landslide was highlighted earlier this year as being a location that poses substantial levels of hazard.  The article included this overview of the site:-

Budhiganga River landslide

The landslide on the Budhiganga River landslide in Nepal. Photo: Prakash Singh via The Himalayan Times.

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The state of the site has developed substantially since.  The Himalayan Times article this week includes this image of the lower part of the landslide, illustrating the fears of the river becoming blocked:-

Budhiganga River landslide

The Budhiganga River landslide in Bajura, on Sunday, July 7, 2019. Photo: The Himalayan Times.

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This landslide, which is located at 29.393°, 81.399°, can be seen on recent Planet Labs images:-

The Budhiganga River landslide

Planet Labs image of the Budhiganga River landslide in Bajura. PlanetScope image collected on 3rd July 2019.

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This is just one of many landslide challenges that Nepal will face in the next three months or so.

Reference

Planet Team (2019). Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA.