Incessant rains in the past few days cause several roadblocks across the country

Yangyel Lhaden

The final stretch of monsoon rain following the Blessed Rainy Day has wreaked havoc in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, causing roadblocks, stranding travelers, triggering landslides, flood, and damaging vital water transmission lines across the country.

The Department of Surface Transport has recorded around 30 roadblocks trom September 26 till yesterday.

In Thimphu, a landslide on September 28 damaged water pipelines from the Dodena source, disrupting water supply to several parts of the capital city.

The Thimphu Thromde also alerted the public about the risks of flooding, landslides, and sewage blockages within the city, sharing images of the damage on social media.

The monsoon’s effects have extended beyond Bhutan, severely impacting neighbouring Nepal, where at least 148 lives have been lost due to flooding, with over 100 injuries as of yesterday, according to the BBC.

Intense rainfall began on September 27, leading to some areas of Kathmandu receiving up to 322 mm of rain in just 24 hours—the highest levels recorded since 1970.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development had earlier warned that this monsoon season would be particularly challenging for the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, predicting above-average temperatures and higher rainfall across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

In August, Bangladesh suffered devastating floods that resulted in over 70 deaths, displacing more than 500,000 people and affecting around 5.8 million individuals.

Afghanistan also faced severe flooding this year, with significant fatalities reported in multiple provinces. In May, floods in Faryab and Ghor provinces caused about 80 deaths while heavy rainfall in July led to 40 fatalities in the eastern regions, particularly around Jalalabad. Earlier in April, floods claimed 90 lives across multiple provinces in Afghanistan.

In Bhutan, the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) predicted above-normal rainfall and the likelihood of extreme weather events for the remainder of the monsoon season.

‘Above-normal’ rainfall refers to amounts exceeding 10 percent above the average recorded between 1996 and 2023.

From June to August, Bhutan experienced above-normal rainfall, with several extreme weather events reported.

Notable extreme weather events between July and August include a flash flood at the Begana Guru Lhakhang stream in Thimphu on July 15.

On August 5, a flash flood occurred at the Bumthang Lamay Gonpa stream. Another flash flood hit the Dechenphu stream on August 10.

On August 17, heavy rainfall affected Isuna, Paro, and Gidakom areas in Thimphu.

On August 18, a flash flood in Gangtey, caused by heavy rainfall from the Bayta Chhu  impacted Beta, Gela, and Tokha villages in Gangtey gewog.

The forecast from September 26 till October 24 warns of above-normal rainfall in first three weeks, followed by a potential decrease in the last week.

The minimum temperature is likely to remain above  normal during the first two  weeks, with more stable conditions anticipated for the rest of the month , according to the forecast released on September 27 by the NCHM.