KHOTANG, August 3

Tanka Bahadur Khadka from Mattim VDC-6, Khotang, procured 12 ropani paddy field in the village with money earned from working abroad. Even before six months had passed since he bought the field, flood in Tawakhola swept away the field and saplings planted a month ago.

The erosion caused by Tawakhola has not ceased to scrape away the paddy field. Khadka had been living in

the newly bought house and land where he had cultivated paddy.

The swollen Tawakhola washed away six ropani paddy field belonging to Gyanendra Chamling at Sasakhur Bagar, turning it into barren land. Of the 13 ropani paddy field owned by Chamling at Temma VDC-9, the floods swept half of the field and paddy away.

The floods also swept away cardamom, tea, and coffee, among others. “After the Tawakhola washed away the field, we do not even have a semblance of a paddy field at the moment,” Chamling lamented.

Summer paddy was almost ready to be harvested in 50 ropani land at Mattim VDC-5 in Diktel Municipality that belonged to Lok Bahadur Katwal and Devraj Katwal. Preparations were on to harvest the crops. Workers had been called for the same. However, flooding, the night before, turned all the paddy field into barren land.

“We used to harvest 150 muri paddy during summer and 80 muri during winter. The floods, however, washed away the entire paddy field,” Lok Bahadur bemoaned.

The deluge also swept away mango, maize and papaya belonging to the Katwal duo. VDC Secretary Homnath Khanal said that floods had turned 25 ropani of paddy fields into desert.

Floods have left no trace of 14 ropani paddy field belonging to Nir Chamling at Mattim VDC-5. The disaster not only swept away the field but it also devoured tiller Pratap Singh Rai’s wife and son.

The floods have transformed majority of the paddy fields belonging to 67 farmers into desert while fields and crops of 36 farmers at Khidim have been inundated at Mattim VDC.

Tawakhola runs through paddy fields at Mattim. The fields have large boulders and stones. “It seems the paddy never existed in Mattim as they have been swept clean,” Pralhad Rai of Mattim shared.

Bhawan Kumar Acharya, a farmer, said the risk of starvation had increased in the village after the paddy fields were swept away. “The stock of rice is running out. We do not know how we are going to manage food after a few months,” Acharya wondered.

Floods have submerged paddy field on the banks of Tawakhola at Banjhechyandanda and Ratanchha areas.