Bajura, August 8

The locals of Andradi village have been terrified after landslides — triggered by incessant rainfall — occurred in their village at Gaumul Rural Municipality-1, Bajura.

A woman and her daughter died due to landslides at Basala Shantitole in the rural municipality a few days ago. Loose soil in the village area has been slipping continuously. As many as 42 families are at risk of landslips that are yet to stop.

Dhan Bahadur Rokaya, a local,  said villagers go to safer places when it rains and return home after the rain stops. He added that villagers’ lives were at risk and they had demanded that they be shifted to safer places.

The rural municipality Vice-chair Sita Thapa said locals’ suffering had increased because the landslides had swept away drinking water pipes. She added they were also facing problems going from one place to another as the roads had also been swept away.

Ward Chairman Harka Bohora said effort to shift people to safer places was under way. “We realise the risks the locals have been facing as disasters might occur any time,” he added. Bohora said land above the village was slipping and rainfall was yet to stop. “Preparation is under way to shift the villagers to safer places,” he informed.

Not only Gaumul Rural Municipality, but around a dozen settlements in Bajura face high risk of landslides. According to District Disaster Rescue Committee, as many as 95 human settlements are at high risk of landslides in the district. Police said some of the settlements, which faced high risk, have been displaced.