RAJBIRAJ, JANUARY 23

Excessive cold has adversely affected the lives of the landless Dom community living at Malleth in Rajbiraj Municipality, Saptari.

The Dom people living on the side of the road have been facing difficulties due to excessive cold for the last one week.

They said that they did not have house, warm clothes and blankets for the nights.

Seventy-five year old Purani Devi Marik said it was very difficult to save her life due to the cold wave. 'Due to the bone biting cold, we are compelled to spend sleepiness nights,' she said, adding that excessive cold had hit the community hard as they had neither any house nor clothes.

The same is the plight of Charitra Marik. She said that no one had reached the poor settlement with relief materials.

'The leaders, who came for the votes, did not show their faces in this difficult situation,' she added.

The people of the community said firewood brought from the nearby tole was almost finished.

They added that this winter became ill-fated for the community. Straw mats are being used to protect the children from cold.

Shyamwati Marik, another victim, said that the leaders had reached the community asking for votes, but had done nothing for them after winning the election. The leaders had assured they would build houses for the Doms, but had done nothing. 'We are nothing for the leaders after the election,' they added.

Amar Nath Mandal, a local, said that there were seven Dom families in the community and they all shared the same plight.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 24, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.