Betravati and Timure, both in the country’s Rasuwa area, were hit by floodwaters that swept away homes, roads, bridges and markets, leaving around 270 people confirmed dead and nearly 1,300 others missing. Kathmandu: A sudden and devastating flood in Nepal’s northern border region has wiped out large parts of two towns that serve very different but important purposes.
People in the area said the flooding came with little warning. The scale of the destruction has made the two places important locations in the rescue effort. Timure is close to the Rasuwagadhi border with China and is used by traders and people travelling towards Tibet and Kailash Mansarovar. Betravati, which is also known as Uttargaya, is a historic settlement and an important road gateway towards Rasuwa and the China border. There had been no report of heavy rain nearby, and people were going about their daily work when the water suddenly arrived.
A market swept away in minutes
Pema Dorje Ghale, a ward member of Gosainkunda Rural Municipality-2 in Rasuwa, said the flood had destroyed Timure Bazaar and left residents with little time to escape. “The flood came with a huge sound at around 8:30 in the morning. Betravati is also known for its historical importance, as the 1792 treaty following the Nepal-Tibet war was signed there and is known as the Betravati Treaty. Rajendra Dhungana, chief customs officer at the Rasuwa border, said he initially thought an earthquake had struck when he felt the ground shaking on Wednesday (August 26) morning. It was a flood that rose like a wave nearly 100 metres high and carried the market away. The Nepal Department of Roads said around 42 kilometres of the road connecting Betravati with the Rasuwagadhi border post has been completely washed away. The town is around 58 kilometres north-west of Kathmandu and serves as a major gateway towards Rasuwa and the Rasuwagadhi border. The 1788-1792 China-Nepal war is among the major episodes in that history.
The flood has destroyed everything,” he told Zee News Digital. He said Timure is only a few kilometres from the Rasuwagadhi border with China and has long served as a stopover for people travelling towards Tibet and Kailash Mansarovar. Many of them would spend the night here before continuing their journey, so there could be a considerable number of foreign visitors among those missing,” he said. Only after a few days will we know how many people managed to save their lives,” he said. The flood first reached Timure near Rasuwagadhi, close to the Chinese border, according to the Kathmandu Post. The entire market was gone within moments,” he told the daily. Shubharaj Neupane, deputy director general and spokesperson for the Department of Roads, told Kantipur that officials were collecting more information to assess the full extent of the damage.
Before we could even think about what was happening, everything was devastated. There is nothing left of Timure Bazaar. “Foreign tourists and pilgrims used to stay in Timure before heading towards Mansarovar. A local resident of Uttargaya Rural Municipality in Rasuwa described the destruction in Betravati after the flood swept through the settlement with devastating force. “Nothing is left. Where could the sick and elderly have gone? There is not a single house left here. “When I ran, I saw a huge wall of water coming rapidly from above. There was also something like clouds of smoke with it, and the water was moving towards the Timure market. The absence of a warning made the situation difficult for people in the area. Residents had no warning that such a large volume of water was heading towards them, leaving them very little time to get to safety. Several bridges along the route were also destroyed. The road is important well beyond the affected settlements. The Betravati-Syafrubesi-Rasuwagadhi route connects central Nepal with the Chinese border. Damage to such a large section could affect local transport, supplies, tourism and Nepal-China trade through Rasuwagadhi and Kerung. Also known as Betravati, Uttargaya is in Rasuwa district of Nepal’s Bagmati province. It lies on the banks of the Trishuli and Phalankhu rivers, near the border between Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts. It is also regarded as the only vehicle-accessible road connection towards the border from this side. Uttargaya has a place in Nepal’s modern history as well as its religious life. The Rising Nepal Daily has described the town as an important historical place in Nepal’s relationship with Tibet. Nepal and Tibet had economic and cultural relations for centuries, while disputes over trade continued through different periods of Nepal’s history. The town is also known for its religious sites and the sacred Trishuli and Phalankhu Ganga ghats. Uttargaya is counted among Nepal’s important Hindu pilgrimage sites. Temples and religious places in the area include Ram Temple, Krishna Temple, Ganesh Temple, Nilkantheshwar Temple, Sitadevi Temple, Vandevi or Saraswati Temple and Sugat Muni Monastery. Hindus also visit the area to perform pind daan rituals for their ancestors. Timure is a small settlement in Rasuwa district and is located only a few kilometres from the Rasuwagadhi border with China. Its location has made it an important stopping point for people travelling towards Tibet. The town developed as a final halt and supply centre for travellers heading towards Tibet.
A large part of the settlement, which has a population of several hundred, was swept away before the floodwater surged downhill. Today, it serves traders as well as pilgrims travelling by road from Nepal towards Kailash Mansarovar.
The journey from Trishuli Highway to Timure covers around 124 kilometres and normally takes about six to eight hours by road. Because construction work had left some sections of the road unfinished, devkota said reaching Timure could itself be difficult in places. Travellers generally stop in Timure for food and basic facilities before continuing towards the border. The Rasuwagadhi Immigration Office is located in the area, making Timure an important stop for travellers who need to complete immigration formalities before entering or leaving Nepal. This gives the town a practical role in the road journey to Kailash Mansarovar. The route passes through Trishuli Bazaar, Dhunche and Syafrubesi before reaching Timure. The destruction of large sections of this route now adds another major challenge for rescue teams, residents, traders and travellers trying to reach the border region.
They can also purchase essential supplies before the next part of their journey.
