Dadeldhura, May 6: Strong winds have once again caused widespread damage in Baitadi and Dadeldhura, blowing off roofs of schools, government buildings and private homes.
Known for its windy terrain—reflected in its name derived from ‘bayu’ (wind) and ‘tad’ (hilltop)—Baitadi continues to face recurring damage due to storms. Despite this, many public structures are still built with corrugated metal roofing, which experts say is unsuitable for the region.
On Sunday afternoon, strong winds tore off roofs of buildings at Shitalpur Secondary School–1 and Dharmaghar Secondary School–2, disrupting classes just as schools were preparing to resume after the enrolment campaign.
According to Lok Raj Joshi, principal of Dharmaghar Secondary School, teaching activities have been halted following the damage.
The District Police Office Baitadi reported that the storm also affected schools, ward offices and homes in Sigas Rural Municipality, Dogadakedar Rural Municipality, Shivanath Rural Municipality and Pancheshwar Rural Municipality.
Police Inspector Baldev Badu said the roof of Jasaling Basic School–3 was blown away, while a ward office building in Kalagaun–8 also sustained damage. The storm also impacted an Armed Police Force border outpost at Kusmautghat in Shivanath–1. Authorities are still collecting full damage data.
Officials say such incidents occur every year. According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit in Baitadi, roofs of 15 to 20 schools are blown away annually.
Pushkar Raj Sharma, information officer at the unit, said the problem has worsened after schools shifted from traditional slate roofing to corrugated metal sheets, which are less resistant to strong winds.
Unit chief Narendra Prasad Awasthi said concerns have been raised with authorities, but building designs have yet to be revised.
Meanwhile, Shankar Datta Joshi, chief of the Social Development Office, said new school buildings are now being constructed with reinforced concrete roofs under the Sudurpashchim Provincial Government.
“In the current fiscal year, 21 school buildings are under construction with permanent concrete roofing,” he said, adding that corrugated sheets have been removed from technical specifications.
Meanwhile, in Dadeldhura, a powerful windstorm caused similar destruction.
Mahendra Secondary School–5 was among the worst affected, with its principal’s office completely destroyed and staff room damaged. Equipment including computers, CCTV cameras and furniture was also ruined, according to teacher Ashok Balme.
The storm also damaged a ward office in Amargadhi–3, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Barun Bahadur Singh.
At Bhuvaneshwari Secondary School–4, both the assembly hall and girls’ toilet were destroyed after their corrugated roofs were blown away, according to ward chairperson Naresh Kumar Bhatta.
Several houses across the district also suffered damage, while fallen trees and debris disrupted electricity supply.
According to Kapil Joshi of the Nepal Electricity Authority Distribution Centre in Dadeldhura, power outages lasted for several hours, though supply was restored in most areas by around 9:00 pm.
Frequent storm damage has highlighted the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure in Nepal’s hilly districts. While authorities have begun shifting to reinforced concrete roofing, experts say faster implementation is needed to prevent recurring losses and ensure safety in vulnerable regions. #Nepal
