How Nepal's 40-year-old green house survived the massive floods, owners share what exactly happened when - The Times of India

**How a 40‑year‑old greenhouse in Nepal withstood the 2024 monsoon deluge**

*Kathmandu, 1 September 2026* – The catastrophic flash floods that ripped through Nepal’s hilly terrain in June 2024 left more than 1,050 people dead and swamped thousands of homes, farms and commercial structures. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal repeatedly warned that the disaster was a stark symptom of accelerating climate change, a view echoed by scientists who point to unprecedented rainfall patterns in the region. While entire villages were washed away, a modest 40‑year‑old greenhouse perched on the outskirts of Pokhara survived with its frame and crops largely intact, drawing attention to the construction practices that helped it endure the surge.

The owners, a husband‑wife farming team from the Kaski district, recounted the moment the water rose to almost two metres, submerging the surrounding fields. “The greenhouse was built in 1984 with a steel lattice frame anchored to a reinforced‑concrete base, and we had installed a perimeter drainage ditch in 2010,” the husband explained. “When the water breached the ditch, the concrete footing kept the structure from being swept away, and the slatted walls allowed the floodwater to flow through without building pressure.” They also noted that they had elevated the planting tables by a foot in 2018, a precaution that saved several high‑value vegetable seedlings that would have otherwise been lost. The owners’ quick decision to close the ventilation shutters and secure the irrigation system prevented electrical short‑circuits that have damaged many similar facilities in the region.

The greenhouse’s survival is being cited by local authorities and NGOs as a case study in resilient agricultural infrastructure. Engineers from the Nepal Agricultural Development Board are now recommending that new greenhouse projects incorporate raised foundations, sturdy anchoring, and adequate drainage—features that proved decisive in this instance. The episode underscores a broader call for trans‑national cooperation on climate adaptation, as highlighted in editorials from neighboring India, and signals that modest, well‑planned investments can shield livelihoods against the increasingly violent weather extremes that are reshaping the Himalayas.