At least two persons have gone missing in the past 24 hours and hundreds houses have been inundated by floods triggered by incessant rains.

A man was swept away by a flooded stream at Bhatigachha VDC in Morang on Saturday and presumed dead. Police said the continuous rainfall has waterlogged Biratnagar Sub metropolis and its

vicinity.

Another man was swept away by the swelling Budhikulo stream in Gulariya of Bardiya district on Friday evening. Police identified the victim as 53-year-old Khadga Bahadur Tharu of Patabhar-5. The incident occurred as the victim was trying to cross the stream, according to locals who managed to pull out the victim but he died while being rushed to a health facility.

Around 200 houses have been inundated by a flooded Khando stream in Saptari district due to the heavy rainfall for the past few days.

As there is no effective drainage system along the Nepal-India border, two VDCs in the south are inundated due to the construction of an embankment at no-man’s-land.  Locals said six other VDCs were also at high risk of floods after India “unilaterally” constructed embankment in the no-man’s-land.

Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are repairing the embankment for the past two days. According to the villagers, SSB men are adding sacks to heighten the embankment. If the situation continues the entire settlement on the Nepali side of the border will be inundated, villager Dev Narayan Yadav said. “Local bodies should immediately take action to  resolve the situation,” he said, claiming that Nepali authorities are not paying attention to their problems.

“The flooded stream has burst its bank and inundated Tilathi and Sakarapur VDCs,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Karki. The flood triggered by the incessant rain has disrupted the traffic along the Rajbiraj-Kunauli road section for the past five days. The road connects the district headquarters Rajbiraj with India.

Chief District Officer Baldev Gautam said they did not know about the ongoing construction along the no-man’s-land. Lawmaker Umesh Yadav said they were holding talks with the Indian counterparts regarding the problem. “We will find a way out very soon,” he said.

Officials of the District Water Induced Disaster Control Office said the floods in Khado, Mahuli, Khadak, Chapin, Sundari streams have eroded their banks.

 (With inputs from our district correspondents)