Kali Gandaki Floods Inundate 50 Houses in Setibeni, Hydropower Plant Shut

Floodwaters from the swollen Kali Gandaki River have inundated around 50 houses in the Setibeni area, while a key bridge linking Syangja and Gulmi has been swept away after several days of continuous heavy rain.

The flooding has affected settlements on both sides of the river. Around 30 houses in Bihadi Rural Municipality-6 of Parbat and another 20 in Galyang Municipality-5 of Syangja have been inundated as the river level continues to rise.

Setibeni lies near the meeting point of Syangja, Parbat and Gulmi and is one of the areas most exposed to rising water from the Kali Gandaki and surrounding waterways. Local authorities have increased monitoring as rainfall continues across the upper catchment.

Bridge collapse cuts Syangja-Gulmi connection

The flooding also completely destroyed a concrete motorable bridge connecting Mirmi in Syangja’s Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7 with Harmichaur in Gulmi’s Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-1.

The bridge was initially damaged as the river rose and was eventually swept away at around 6 a.m. Sunday. The collapse has cut direct road access between Syangja and Gulmi and disrupted vehicles travelling through the area.

The approximately 50-metre bridge was built in 1996 during the construction of the Kali Gandaki ‘A’ Hydropower Project. The structure had become increasingly vulnerable after years of limited maintenance and river erosion.

Its loss has also affected the wider road connection towards Gulmi’s Arbeni, Purti­ghat and Baglung, while travellers coming from those areas towards Syangja, Palpa and Butwal have been affected.