Flood-hit Kailali locals set up emergency fund

Dhangadi, November 27

In a highly proactive move, locals from several flood-affected VDCs of Kailali, including Nathuram, Thapapur, Bauniya and Pratappur, have started collecting funds and a supply of crops to establish a reserve for emergency purposes such as floods and other natural disasters.

Mohan Nepali from Bauniya VDC said they had been forced to set up the emergency fund as they had realised from past experience that the government would not step in to render any form of assistance even if they starved.

“We have allocated a certain portion of crops, including paddy and wheat to establish an emergency fund as our area gets inundated during monsoon,” Kalpana Budha of Joshipur said.

Locals who are more financially stable have pledged a small part of their income to the fund, Shivraj Kadariya of Johsipur said.

The emergency fund set up at Kadariya Tole has collected Rs 18,000 so far. In some settlements, Rs 10 is being collected from each household to establish the fund.

Community forest committees and cooperatives are known to be moved by the victims’ plights and have thus started allocating relief fund for flood victims.

To avert more damage, some of the residents have started making dykes and planting bamboo and sugar canes at places prone to soil erosion.

Conscious Society Kailali for Social Development Kailali’s project Coordinator Premlal Kusmi said that locals from flood affected areas had done a commendable job by setting up emergency funds to fight the woes brought by the disasters.