Kathmandu, Oct. 24 -- On 15 June, the Melamchi River north of Kathmandu saw a massive flash flood, killing 25 people and sweeping away 200 houses and 360 hectares of farmlands.

Another debris flow on the river on 31 July added to the destruction and misery. The disaster was unprecedented in the Melamchi Valley, and caught residents, trout farms, shops along the banks by surprise. Before the communities got a chance to fully rise from the massive double-earthquake in 2015, the region was hit yet again with another disaster.

As a resident of the Chanaute, I lost close relatives and neighbours to the flood. My own house and farmland were destroyed. The river sliced through the bazar town, and its 56 houses are now ruined and abandoned. The...