Swollen Saptakoshi River after incessant rainfall at the Koshi Barrage in Saptari-Sunsari border, on Saturday, July 23, 2016. Photo: Byas Shankar Upadhyaya
Due to continuous rainfall, the flow of the Sapta Koshi River has increased, prompting the opening of 50 gates of the Koshi Barrage. Police spokesperson Yograj Khatriwad informed that when the river flow reached 335,000 cubic feet per second (cusec), 50 of the 56 gates of the barrage were opened.
According to him, the river flow was measured at 8:15 a.m. today. Earlier, at 7:00 a.m., the flow had reached 271,310 cusec, leading to the opening of 39 gates. On Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m., when the flow was measured at 193,060 cusec, 15 gates were opened.
On Bhadra 17 (Nepali calendar), when the river flow increased, 38 out of 56 gates of the Koshi Barrage were opened. Since then, the flow had decreased continuously. However, due to continuous rainfall on Friday and Saturday, the flow in the Sapta Koshi has been increasing again since early morning, spokesperson Khatriwad said.
A red warning light is switched on at the Koshi Barrage when water flow exceeds 150,000 cusec as a signal of danger. Accordingly, the control room has reported that three red lights are currently active at the barrage.
About the Author
