Landslide blocks Chameliya River in Darchula, Bhattar residents relocated

Darchula, September 4, 2026 — A massive landslide blocked the Chameliya River for about half an hour in Bhattar of Api Himal Rural Municipality-1, Darchula, on Friday afternoon, triggering fear among local residents and raising concerns that the river could be blocked again as landslide activity continues.

According to Api Himal Rural Municipality Chairperson Bhagat Singh Thekare Bohara, small landslides had been occurring in the area since Friday morning. A much larger landslide struck at around 1 p.m., completely blocking the Chameliya River downstream of Bhattar for approximately 30 minutes.

The river has gradually cut through the deposited debris and resumed partial flow. However, the landslide continues to move, leaving a risk that the river could become blocked again, Bohara said.

He described the landslide as unusually large, saying it appeared that a substantial section of the hillside had collapsed.

The landslide has damaged more than 500 metres of trails and stairways in the Bhattar area. Local farmland has also been swept away, while a community building has sustained partial damage.

With Bhattar settlement itself considered at risk, the rural municipality has moved residents to a safer location in the nearby Gursar area. Gursar is a settlement located between Shiti and the local health post, according to the rural municipality.

“The main risk is to the Bhattar settlement itself,” Bohara said, explaining that residents had already been moved to a safer area.

Local authorities are also concerned that a renewed blockage followed by a sudden breach of the river could cause extensive damage downstream. Potentially affected areas include Tapaldhari, Makarigad, the dam site of the Chameliya Hydropower Project, Okhal and settlements in the Marma area.

The rural municipality has alerted hydropower projects and settlements in the potentially affected areas. Employees at the dam site and residents of Makarigad have been advised to stay in safe locations.