Flood-Hit Industries Resume Partial Operations in Sunsari-Morang Corridor

Industries in the Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor and Katahari that were hit by floods last week have resumed partial operations after one week.

Floodwaters from the Tengra stream entered Arihant Multfibers Limited, a company under the Golchha Group located in Duhabi Municipality-8, causing damages worth around Rs 350 million, according to the company. Similarly, Prabati Textiles, situated in the same area, reported losses exceeding Rs 50 million. Both companies said they are currently assessing the total losses before filing insurance claims.

Heavy rainfall on October 3 and 4 (Asoj 17 and 18) triggered floods that affected more than two dozen industries in the corridor. Preliminary estimates indicate losses of at least Rs 500 million, as floodwater damaged machines and disrupted production.

At Arihant Multfibers, the 70-meter-long boundary wall collapsed, allowing floodwater from the Tengra stream to inundate raw materials, finished products, and machinery, said CEO Govinda Bajgain. The disaster forced the complete closure of the factory, which employs about 4,200 workers across three shifts.

“After cleaning up the flood-hit area and repairing some units, we have resumed partial operation. Currently, only around 30 percent of the plant is operational,” Bajgain said, adding that reconstruction of damaged physical structures is underway and a full assessment will take some more time.

At Pragati Textile Industry, over 20 tonnes of yarn were destroyed when floodwaters entered the facility, said manager Pradeep Niraula. He estimated total losses at around Rs 50 million, including damage to yarn and finished fabric.

“We have resumed production using 14 machines after clearing the debris,” he added. Before the flood, the factory produced about 20,000 meters of fabric daily. Despite the disruption, the company said it has continued to pay regular salaries and allowances to its workers and staff.

Other industries in Duhabi — including Quality Biscuit, Pashupati Synthetics, Baba Maida Mill, and Hulas Wire — have also resumed production after being forced to shut down due to flooding. Industry operators said workers have returned to regular duties.

Several factories inside Katahari Rural Municipality in Morang were also submerged. Bipin Kabra, director of Kabra Group and vice president of the Chamber of Industries Morang, said the flooding occurred because roads under the Postal Highway were built four feet higher than the industrial base, without proper drainage. Nearly two dozen industries in Katahari were inundated, he said.

Chudamani Bhattarai, director general of the association, said the Sunsari-Morang Industrial Corridor faces inundation almost every monsoon, and the government must find a long-term solution. He recalled that dozens of industries were submerged in November 2021, causing millions in damages.

Bhattarai added that the elevation of the Dharan–Biratnagar six-lane road has worsened waterlogging, as the road now stands higher than industrial plots. “Even though the corridor has official status, the government has neglected infrastructure development, forcing industries to suffer from natural disasters,” he said.

He suggested diverting the Tengra stream into the Budi River to prevent future inundation in Duhabi and Khanar areas.

Anil Sah, senior vice president of the Morang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, complained that although the area is called an industrial corridor, the government has not provided corridor-level facilities. “We have repeatedly requested the government to address the problem of industrial flooding, but our calls have gone unheard,” he said.