Nepal to Restore Early-Warning System on China Border

Following devastating floods, Nepal plans to restore its early-warning system for landslides along part of its border with China, two sources in the Nepalese government told Reuters on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.

Seismic sensors, cameras and satellite links will be installed near the border village of Timure in Rasuwa district. The village lies along the river corridor down which a massive torrent of mud, water and rocks surged after a glacier collapsed. The disaster claimed at least 1,114 lives in both countries, most of them in Nepal, and left nearly 4,000 people missing.

The satellite system is designed to ensure communication between monitoring stations even in the event of a mobile network outage. Last week's flood knocked out at least four monitoring stations near the border and destroyed the previous early-warning system. One source admitted that authorities had not adequately monitored its operation.

For now, the equipment will be installed at a single location, with additional units to be added later. Officials have already surveyed the area from a helicopter. The terrain remains unstable, and another landslide could trigger a flood. The system would give residents downstream only a few minutes' warning, but even that could prove crucial.

Following the disaster, China provided Nepal with images of the affected areas, satellite and hydrological data, and early-warning information about lakes formed by blocked waterways. Nepalese officials plan to deepen their cooperation with Beijing further.

(Reuters, bak)