The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In a devastating turn of events, flash floods struck the towns of Gelephu and Phuentsholing in Bhutan, causing widespread destruction and leaving residents reeling from the aftermath.
In order to inform and warn the general people of Phuentsholing Thromde about the severe situation brought on by the torrential rainfall harming the Omchu (Doti) River, Phuentsholing Thromde also issued an urgent notification on July 13.
Kabraytar saw its road turning into a raging torrent as it carried away trees and cars while the NHDCL colony also saw flooding.
When the reporter contacted the Phuentsholing Thrompon about the property damage brought on by the torrential rain, he said that their team was investigating, so it was difficult to determine the precise extent of the property damage.
The Phuentsholing Thrompon said, “There is not much property damage; it is only the road and the walls, not the buildings and all.”
The flash floods in Gelephu and Sarpang occurred in the late hours of July 11. The Shetikhari stream in Gelephu experienced a significant risk.
The overflowing streams rapidly swelled, breaching their banks and inundating low-lying areas. Even though there were no recorded injuries, nine homes were impacted by the flash flood, forcing two households to relocate owing to the water’s possible threat.
According to Gelephu Thrompon, among the six constituencies in Gelephu Thromde, Samdrupling was the most adversely affected. Water from Gelephu Gewog moved downstream to Samdrupling due to improper road and drainage systems, resulting in damage to the roadways and drainage systems.
Likewise, a few damages to roads in Tashiling, Rabtenling, and the collapse of the bridge in Namkhaling were reported due to the flash flood.
Another challenged witnessed by the people of Samdrupling was elephant invasion in their residences along with the heavy rain fall.
“Elephants typically accompany rain, and when that happens, they usually break into dark homes and cause anxiety,” said the Gelephu Thrompon.
When the Thrompon was questioned about a potential flood, he said that the construction of reinforced concrete cement walls had contributed to the town’s defence against the Mao khola’s potential threat.
Both Gelephu Thrompon and Gelephu Gewog Gup agreed that the rain this year was heavier than in years past and that the damages were worse because of the unusual timing of the heavy rain.
The Thrompon claimed that while there aren’t any significant problems, there are several minor ones that will require renovation which is going be costly.
