Cold wave grips Musahar settlement in Siraha

SIRAHA: Almost every winter, cold-wave hits various parts of the terai making everyday activities very challenging for the inhabitants. Musahars residing in Sadaya Basti of Golbazar municipality are no exception to this yearly phenomenon as they have been hit hard by the cold wave this year too.

As winter advances, as many as 40 families residing in Sadaya Basti (settlement) near Ghumrikhola have been affected by the biting cold and thick fog as mercury dips in the region.

Laldev Sadaya lives with his wife and three daughters in a small hut with a bed made of hay straws and no proper quilts to keep his family adequately warm from braving freezing temperature. "After coming back home after a tiring day at work, I mostly spend rest of the night around fire to stay warm", said Laldev.

Budhani Sadaya, 45, is a sole breadwinner of her family of five. "I can't afford to make a house nor do I have enough money to buy warm clothes to wear", she said.

"We spend all our hard-earned money on our childrens' education", said Badri Sadaya,65, another resident of the basti. The habitants who indulge in farming as a means of livelihood, collect woods from a nearby forest to make fire.

The Musahars in this settlement continue to suffer due to adverse weather and poor economic condition as these factors make it difficult for them to sustain their already-difficult livelihoods during this trying season.

(Translated by Madhavi Marasini)