Causes and consequences of the 1993 debris flows and landslides in the Kulekhani watershed, central Nepal

On 19-20 July 1993, a high-intensity rainstorm (540 mm in 24 hours) hit the Kulekhani watershed and triggered many debris flows and landslides. Though the main triggering factor was the cloudburst, the geology, geomorphology, soils, and slopes also played a vital role in creating the disaster. Phedigaun was the most severely damaged village where 52 houses were destroyed and 62 persons were killed by a debris flow. More than 300 landslides of various sizes were observed in the watershed. Two hydropower stations and the Kulekhani reservoir were also seriously affected. The debris flow of 1993 brought into the Kulekhani reservoir a sediment volume of 5.1 million m(3).