Rasuwa flood devastates Nuwakot, turning Devighat and Dhunge Bazaar into ruins

Devastation has struck Nuwakot, Nepal, following a powerful flood on August 26 that has rendered settlements like Devighat Bazaar and Dhunge Bazaar unrecognizable. Shops, homes, and structures that have stood for decades are now gone, replaced by rocks, mud, and debris.

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It’s not just that the shop was damaged. There is nothing left there. The house is gone. Everything in the shop is gone.

An Onlinekhabar team visiting Devighat found a scene of utter destruction. For local shopkeepers, describing their losses as mere "damage" falls short. "There is nothing left there. The house is gone. Everything in the shop is gone," lamented one shopkeeper who had run an electrical goods business for over two decades. His livelihood, built over years, vanished in minutes, but he expressed relief that his family survived.

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In the past, the river would rise gradually. This time, it came all at once.

The flood's intensity caught residents by surprise. Unlike previous gradual rises, this flood "came all at once," according to the shopkeeper. After hearing that the Trishuli River had risen and swept away a bridge, residents were warned to evacuate. Their swift decision to flee to higher ground saved their lives, but not everyone was as fortunate. Rescue operations were underway at an inundated ashram in Devighat.

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After the Trishuli bridge was swept away, there was no way we could stay here. We left immediately.

The flood's impact extends beyond material loss, erasing historical and cultural landmarks. The Jalpa Temple, a site of archaeological and religious importance, has been wiped out. Residents noted that the floodwaters reached as high as two-story homes, entering the settlement from below the statue of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. The event marks the end of a way of life for many, with some recalling stories of a similar, though less severe, flood in 2019 BS (1962 AD).

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I was told there was a flood like this in our grandparents’ time, in 2019 BS, and that it brought rocks down with it. Now even that bridge is gone. The rocks are gone. Nothing is left.