Another storm adds to victims’ woes

Bara, April 6

Today’s storm packed with rain has added to the woes of last Sunday’s storm victims in Bara, who dread the possibility of a similar disaster.

Last Sunday night’s storm had rendered many residents homeless in Pheta, Subarnapur, Mahagadhimai, Prasauni, and Parawanipur rural municipalities, Devtal and Pacharauta municipalities, and Kalaiya sub-metropolis in Bara. Today’s storm and rain has caused apprehension among the victims who are reeling from the shock in the tents put up by Nepali Army or in their partially damaged houses. “We have this tent in the name of shelter.

I don’t think it will save us if another big storm strikes,” said Nesa Khatun, 65, of Purainiya in Pheta Rural Municipality.

Another storm victim Samsanesa Khatun also shared her fear of yet another disaster.

“The Sunday night’s storm blew everything in a blink of an eye. Today’s storm reminded me of the first storm. In the event of a large disaster like the first one, the males would save themselves by running away, but what would we, the children and women do?” she asked. Pheta Rural Municipality Chairperson Amirilal Prasad expressed his concerns about the possibility of further hardships to storm victims.

“As the meteorologists have predicted storm and rain for a few more days and most of the tents rigged up on the ground level, I’m worried about the possible ordeals of storm victims in the event of rainfall,” he said.

According to CDO Rajesh Poudel, so far some 600 tents have been pitched for storm victims in the district and others are being erected.