Special Report (extended) - Tragedy: A Flood in the Seti River

Special Report (extended) - Tragedy: A Flood in the Seti River, Pokhara

1 Chikashi Sato

Dear friends, In the late afternoon of May 5, 2012, a Nepalese student, Sachitra, informed me of a flood in the Seti River in the Kaski district, Pokhara, Nepal. He took me to a section of the flooded site by his motorcycle. There were already many onlookers on high ground (Photo 1). The river was covered with grayish, milky sediments (Photos 2 & 3).

In the upper stream area, several people were searching for something: they might be looking for washed bodies (Photos 4).

Photos 4: The Seti River: people searching something in the upper area, Pokhara (Photo by Sato, May 5, 2012)

Photo 1: Onlookers looking down the Seti River (Photo by Sato, May 5, 2012)

Photo 2: The Seti River covered with grayish, milky sediments (Photo by Sato, May 5, 2012)

Photos 3: The Seti River: after flooding (Photo by Sato, May 5, 2012)


2 Chikashi Sato

Army personnel were present on a rooftop of a building. I saw no actions taken by military personnel at that time (Photos 5).

According to the Himalayan Times, the Nepal Army’s investigations indicate that “the flood in Seti River was caused after the river was blocked by rocks following a landslide at its origin. At least 14 people, including three foreigners, were killed and an unknown number of people have gone out of contact or missing.” The Himalayan Times reported, “A flash flood in the Seti River today wreaked havoc in many places of Kaski district. By evening 13 bodies has been recovered and more than 50 had gone missing.” The Nepali Times showed an aerial photo of the flooded section of the river (Photo 6).

Photo 6: “THE GREAT FLOOD: Brown water mixed with red logs washes down the Seti as the flood arrives on the outskirts of Pokhara just before noon on Saturday. This picture was taken from the air by Captain Alexander Maximov of Avia Club, who warned the control tower in Pokhara of the approaching flood, giving enough time for evacuation.” (The Nepali Times, May 6, 2012)

The Himalayan Times (May 6, 2012) reported, “For the last three days, the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre region had been receiving continuous rain and was piled with heavy snow. The lightning and thunder that accompanied the rain had unsettled the snow and caused a slide blocking the Seti River near its origin. On Saturday morning, the river burst through the blockage creating sudden rush of water downstream.” News Headlines: “Himalayan Tsunami” (Nepali Times: Saturday, May 5th, 2012) ”Seti Floods: 13 bodies found‚ 3 foreigners among dead” (The Himalayan Times: Saturday, May 5th, 2012) “Sudden flood on Seti River takes a heavy toll” (The Himalayan Times: Sunday, May 6th, 2012)

Photos 5: The Seti River: Army observing the flooded site, Pokhara (Photo by Sato, May 5, 2012)

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Seti+Floods%3A+13+bodies+found%E2%80%9A+3+foreigners+among+dead&NewsID=330794


3 Chikashi Sato

On the next day (May 6, 2012), a Nepalese friend, Ram Chandra, and I visited different parts of the Seti River (A-E on Map). In this segment, the Seti River flows southeasterly or southwards: the Himalayan mountains are situated to the north.

Site A

Site A is near a low-head dam located in the northern outskirts of Pokhara, near Pokhara Institute of Engineering (Institute of Engineering Western Region Campus). From the west bank of the Seti River, I saw the dam which was overwhelmed by greyish floodwater (Photos 7 - 10).

Photos 7: Site A; low-head dam located in the northern outskirts of Pokhara (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

A

B

C

D

Site A

Map showing observation sites, A-E (Google map, accessed May 7, 2012)

C

D

E


4 Chikashi Sato

On a floodplain from which floodwater had already been drained, I saw large logs among boulders and the local inhabitants collecting fire wood (Photos 11).

Photo 8: Greyish stain on a concrete wall indicates how high was the floodwater (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo 9: Logs were violently commingled below the dam (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photos 11: Logs drifted from upstream and local inhabitants collecting fire wood on a floodplain (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

E

Photos 10: Close shots of

floodwater at Site A:

eddies were created by

rocks/boulders (left) and

debris, tree branches,

logs (right), (Photo by

Sato, May 6, 2012)


5 Chikashi Sato

Site B Site B is identified by a suspension bridge across the Seti River which flows between Manipal College of Medical Sciences and Prithvi Narayan Campus (Photos 12).

Photos 12: A suspension bridge across the Seti River which flows between the Manipal College of Medical Sciences campus and the Prithvi Narayan campus (Site B). A floodwater level at the peak flow was identified with greyish color on the river sidewall and a boulder (Photos 13).

Photos 13: The Seti River: view from the suspension bridge (Site B), one day after the flood of May 5 (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)


6 Chikashi Sato

Site C Site C is identified by the Seti River Gorge. (Note that there are several gorges in Pokhara.) The Gorge was covered by tree canopies. Because the gorge is very deep and the canopies are thick, I could not see the river (Photo 14).

Site D The Seti River flows through the gorge and discharges to a wide section of the river (Site D) (Photos 15). When we visited the area, much of the floodwater had already been drained. However, the river and its floodplain were covered with wet greyish sediments indicating that the whole area had been flooded.

Photo 14: Site C; the Seti River Gorge covered by tree canopies; a view from a bridge (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photos 15: A wide section of the Seti River, Site D (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)


7 Chikashi Sato

Note that I observed the flood from the west bank of the wider section of the river (Site D) on May 5, while I observed the river from the east bank on May 6, 2012. Site E Site E is the Prithvi Highway bridge across the Seti River Gorge (Photo 16). The water from the wide section of the river (Site D) flows into the gorge. Since this gorge is extremely narrow (approximately 1-2 meter wide) (Photo 17), floodwater might have backed up in the wider section of the river (Site D). APPENDIX: “Tragedy: A Flood in the Seti River, Pokhara” behind the scene

Photo 17: The Seti River Gorge; view from Prithivi Highway bridge at Site E (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo 16: Prithvi Highway bridge at Site E (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo A1: Onlookers looking down the Seti River at Site A (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo A2: Me observing the flood in the Seti River at Site A (Photo by Ram, May 6, 2012)


8 Chikashi Sato

On May 6, 2012, when we arrived at the east side of the wider section of the Seti River (Site D), people were gathering by the river to hold a funeral (Photo A3). Fire woods were piled for cremation of recovered bodies (Photo A4). When we were moving to the next site, I saw plumes of black smoke rising from the piled fire wood (Photo A5).

Photo A3: Funeral on the east bank of the Seti River (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo A4: Piled fire wood (for cremation) on the east bank of the Seti River (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Photo A5: Plumes of smoke rising from piled fire wood on the bank of the Seti River (Photo by Sato, May 6, 2012)

Documents

Special Report (extended) - Tragedy: A Flood in the Seti River