Nepal Army to dig second channel to drain out dammed water
KATHMANDU, Aug 11:
The government has dropped the idea of opening alternative routes on the other side of Sunkoshi River to resume traffic on the Jure-Barhabise section of Araniko Highway and directed Nepal Army to open a second channel to drain out the dammed water instead.
A landslide in the wee hours of August 2 had deposited debris in the Sunkoshi River, creating a 35-meter deep artificial lake. The lake has submerged around one and half kilometers of the highway - the backbone of Nepal-China trade - and cut off links to Tatopani Customs Point.
Following the direction, Nepal Army on Sunday dropped two disassembled excavators on the other side of the Sunkoshi River to dig a second channel. If things go as planned, the second channel will be opened within two days, officials say.
A barrier lake formed on the Sunkoshi River from debris from a landslide at Jure, Sindhupalchowk, seen from near Saat Kilo of Dolakha on Saturday, Aug 2. (Dipesh Shrestha/Republica Files)
Talking to Republica, Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, said the excavators have already been reassembled and that they would be pressed into service from Tuesday morning.
An intensive meeting of Central Natural Disaster Rescue Committee led by Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam on Sunday morning held discussion on different alternatives. It ultimately decided to dig a second channel to drain out the dammed water.
The committee also issued a direction to Nepal Army to drain the dammed water gradually by using machinery or other technology. It asked the army to deepen the first channel and open second channel at the center of the dam at the earliest.“
"If we managed to reduce water level by 10 meters, we can bring the submerged road into operation within another three da”s," Sitaula sai“. "As the dam was filled in 11 hours, we can drain it out by doubling water flow downstre”m."
He said traffic can be resumed on the submerged section by preparing an 800-meter earthen road through the landslid“. "The earthen road can be prepared in three da”s," he added.
• Works on second channel to begin today
• Officials say the second channel can be dug in two days
• Once water level is reduced by 10 meters, works to bring submerged road into operation will begin
Earlier, the government had dropped the idea of opening second channel to drain the lake after geologists opposed to the idea. The meeting held on Sunday morning, however, unanimously decided to open the second channel to gradually reduce water level in the artificial lake.
According to officials, rate of water flow into the lake and discharge from the lake is almost equal. Normal water flow was recorded at 250 cubic meter per second on Monday.
Resumption of traffic on the section will reconnect 12 villages of the district to rest of the country. It will also resume import and export of goods via Tatopani Customs Point.
Nepal imports products amounting to around Rs 5.7 billion from China through the customs point every month. Similarly, it exports goods worth around Rs 166 million to China every month. Around 60-70 containers pass through the customs point on a daily basis.
Once the lake is drained out, works to resume generation from Sunkoshi hydropower (2.5 MW) and repair of pylons of three transmission lines, including the 132 kV line that evacuates power from Upper Bhotekoshi (45 MW), can be started.
The artificial lake has completely submerged Sunkoshi hydropower.
Rajendra Shrestha, immediate past president of Sindhupalchowk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said focus should be on draining out the lake and bringing the submerged road section into operation at the earlies“. "Works to open alternative routes would take lot of ti”e," he added.
Source: Republica
