Ilam: Landslides and floods following incessant rainfall on October 4 and 5 caused property damages worth Rs 11.81 billion in the Ilam district. Chief District Officer Sunita Nepal reported that the disasters affected various infrastructures including roads, bridges, buildings, drinking water projects, irrigation projects, and the agriculture and livestock sectors.
According to National News Agency Nepal, preliminary details of the losses were gathered by 11 offices including the Road Division, Infrastructure Development Office, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Water Resources and Irrigation Division. Eleven road division projects suffered damages amounting to Rs 6.96 billion. In the infrastructure development sector, Rs 2.34 billion worth of roads, Rs 850 million worth of bridges, and Rs 40 million worth of buildings were damaged.
The District Administration Office noted that projects under the Nepal Electricity Authority suffered a loss of Rs 24.7 million, while damages in the Water Resources and Irrigation Division exceeded Rs 328 million. Additionally, the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Expert Centre reported damages of over Rs 40 million due to the natural disasters.
CDO Nepal stated that the Dhankuta Field Unit Office, under the Water Supply and Sewerage Management Department, faced damages to 29 drinking water projects amounting to Rs 287.5 million. Furthermore, the Water Supply and Sanitation Division Office in Bhadrapur, Jhapa, reported losses of Rs 280.1 million across 223 projects.
Agricultural losses included damages to crops on 892.32 hectares of land, affecting 3,409 farmers and resulting in losses of Rs 274.9 million. Under the National Tea and Coffee Development Board’s Tea Expansion Programme, 25 tea estates suffered losses of Rs 47.55 million.
Nepal Telecom reported damages of Rs 508,000 from 10 optical fiber and cable lines. The Irrigation and Water Resource Management Project in Gainde, Jhapa, saw 31 projects affected by landslides, resulting in Rs 329 million in losses.
CDO Nepal informed RSS that damage details have been presented to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and other respective ministries. The assessment was compiled from sectoral offices in coordination with local governments.
In Ilam, 39 people died, 26 were injured, and one remains missing due to the disasters that displaced 711 households. Of those displaced, 700 are staying with relatives, and 11 are in community buildings. Floods and landslides completely destroyed 365 houses and partially damaged 940 houses across 10 local levels in the district of Koshi Province.