Himal Press 
POKHARA: Floods in the Modi Khola river, triggered by strong monsoon downpour, have swept away a restaurant and a suspension bridge in the tourist destination of Ghandruk in Kaski, while another restaurant has sustained damage. The flood has also washed away part of the road, disconnecting Ghandruk.
Heavy overnight rains caused the Kimrung Khola in Annapurna Rural Municipality, Kaski, to swell. The stream joins the Modi Khola, which flows through Kaski and Parbat districts to meet the Kaligandaki River—a major tributary of the Narayani River.
Officials from Modi Rural Municipality of Parbat and Annapurna Rural Municipality of Kaski have issued alerts to people in downstream areas, warning them of possible flood damage. Through public notices and loudspeaker announcements, they have urged people to avoid entering the river, fishing or collecting firewood while water levels are high.
Modi Rural Municipality Chairperson Hira Devi Sharma said the local government issued a public warning after the water level in the Kimrung Khola began rising.
The flood swept away a restaurant owned by Dilip Gurung at Syauli Bazaar on Sunday afternoon. Another riverside restaurant owned by local resident Jagan Pun was also damaged.
The flood also washed away the suspension bridge over the Kimrung Khola in Ghandruk. This has disrupted access to the Annapurna Base Camp trekking route.
Annapurna Rural Municipality Spokesperson Bharat Man Gurung said the flood also eroded a section of the road at Birethanti on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a team comprising Annapurna Rural Municipality Chairperson Bishnu Bahadur KC, Vice Chairperson Chandrakala Adhikari, Spokesperson Bharat Man Gurung, and the Nepali Army and Nepal Police personnel have reached the affected area to assess the situation.
