Dhading, Nepal | Ecosphere News
Continuous monsoon rainfall has triggered a major landslide in the Bhulbhule area of Nilkantha Municipality-2, Dhading, displacing four families, damaging homes, and severely disrupting drinking water services for thousands of residents.
The landslide began after the ground cracked in the Pandhero Kholcha Danda area, placing the surrounding settlement under high risk. The house of Dil Bahadur Gurung was completely destroyed, while the homes of Govinda Shrestha, Hira Bahadur Shrestha, and Amrit Gurung developed significant structural cracks, forcing the affected families to relocate to safer locations.
Local residents reported that approximately 200 ropani of cultivable land has also been affected by the landslide, raising concerns over agricultural losses and the livelihoods of farming households.
The disaster has also caused a major interruption to the district headquarters' drinking water system. The landslide swept away the 1,300-metre main pipeline that carries water from the source in Nilkantha Municipality-2 to the main distribution tank, resulting in a complete suspension of water supply in Dhadingbesi. According to Shiva Adhikari, Chairperson of the Nilkantha Municipal Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Board, the damaged pipeline is the primary water transmission line serving the municipality.
As a result, around 2,500 households have been left without regular drinking water services. In addition, the landslide destroyed a gabion protection structure with an estimated capacity of 600 cubic metres, which had been constructed under a partnership between the Provincial Government and Nilkantha Municipality at a cost of approximately NPR 6.5 million.
According to local resident Bharat Bahadur Gurung, landslides continue to occur not only from the upper section of Bhulbhule village but also from the nearby Newar Kholcha area, increasing the risk to additional settlements. With continuous rainfall forecast to persist, residents have called for immediate protective measures, emergency relief, and safe relocation of vulnerable families.
A joint team led by Nilkantha Municipality Mayor Bhim Dhungana, Deputy Mayor Deepak Bishwakarma, officials from the District Police Office, Dhading, and representatives of the Nilkantha Drinking Water and Sanitation Management Board conducted an on-site inspection of the affected area.
Mayor Dhungana stated that safeguarding lives and property and restoring the drinking water supply are the municipality's top priorities. He said the local government would coordinate with the provincial and federal governments, as well as development partners, to repair the damaged pipeline, restore essential services, and implement protective measures for settlements facing ongoing landslide threats.
Following the field inspection, local authorities and concerned agencies pledged to expedite the restoration of drinking water services, strengthen protection for at-risk communities, and pursue long-term landslide mitigation measures.
The incident highlights the increasing vulnerability of Nepal's hill communities to monsoon-induced landslides, underscoring the urgent need for resilient infrastructure, effective slope stabilization, and disaster risk reduction planning.
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