Kathmandu: More than 1,000 houses were affected by floods following incessant rainfall over the weekend in the Sunsari district. Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Keshav Thebe, reported that a total of 1,370 houses across multiple areas including Inaruwa, Dharan, Itahari, Barahakshetra, and several others, experienced the impact of the flooding.
According to National News Agency Nepal, a total of 5,474 people were directly affected due to floods in various streams and rivers within the district. The floods resulted in partial damage to the houses. Rescue operations were conducted by security personnel, successfully saving 344 individuals trapped by the waters. The flooding also led to the displacement of 200 families in Inaruwa, with numerous settlements in Inaruwa municipality-3, 4, 9, and 10 being inundated.
In addition to the residential impact, the weather conditions severely affected agricultural activities. The rain and storm that hit the district last Saturday caused substantial damage to the maize crop, particularly in areas such as Bhokraha, Harinagar, and Inaruwa. Farmers engaged in the cultivation of various crops, including commercial banana farming, are facing losses due to these natural events. Neelkamal Singh, head of the Agricultural Knowledge Centre in Sunsari, indicated that banana cultivation spans 530 hectares this year. Singh mentioned that assessments of the damage to the agricultural sector caused by the floods are currently underway.