High Alert in Nepal: Massive Landslide Blocks Chaulani River, Triggering Flash Flood Threat

DARCHULA, Nepal — Authorities in far-western Nepal have put riverbank communities on high alert after a massive landslide partially dammed the Chaulani River, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic flash floods downstream.

The landslide struck the Bhattar area of ApiHimal Rural Municipality, dumping huge volumes of rock and mud into the channel. The Darchula District Administration Office warned that ongoing earth movement could choke the waterway entirely. If a debris dam forms and breaches under water pressure, a sudden wall of water would rush down the valley, threatening settlements along the Chameliya River corridor and near the Nepal-India border.

In response to the growing hazard, security forces relocated ten families from the immediate hazard zone in Bhattar to safer accommodations, providing emergency supplies and tents. Personnel from the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, and the nearby Nepal Chameliya Hydropower Security Base in Balanch have been mobilized to monitor the river’s water level around the clock and sound early warnings to residents if water levels rise abruptly.

Sudurpaschim Province officials and Chief District Officer BartarajPaudel have urged locals living in low-lying riverside areas to stay vigilant, avoid approaching the banks during rainfall, and prepare for potential evacuations. Emergency hotlines have been published as authorities closely track weather forecasts, fearing that additional rainfall could exacerbate slope instability and trigger a major flood event.

Local disaster management committees are coordinating with engineers to assess whether controlled breaching or heavy machinery can safely clear the river blockage without triggering an abrupt surge downstream. Meanwhile, critical infrastructure, including the nearby Chameliya Hydropower Project, has implemented precautionary protocols to safeguard turbines and electrical facilities against potential debris impacts.

Border authorities have also established real-time communications with officials in Uttarakhand, India, to ensure cross-border coordination along the shared Mahakali river basin. As monsoon conditions persist across the Himalayan region, emergency response units remain on standby with rescue boats and aid supplies to assist isolated mountain communities if the blockage collapses.