DHANKUTA, AUGUST 17
People, whose houses were damaged by monsoon-related disasters, have not been able to reconstruct their homes due to lack of fund in Dhankuta.
Most flood and landslide victims of the district, who were recommended for grant as per the Private Housing Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Grant Procedure, have lamented having to weather this monsoon too from temporary shelters made of zinc sheets, tarpaulin and so on for want of grant to rebuild their houses.
Floods and landslides in Dhankuta last year had swept away human settlements, roads and farmlands. In the wake of the incidents, 55 houses were recommended for repair, 80 for reconstruction and two for relocation by District Disaster Management Committee. Similarly, recommendation was made to relocate an entire human settlement comprising 99 households.
"As we haven't got any grant as per the recommendation to build our houses, we seem to be heading for a tough time through the monsoon this year," lamented Harka Bahadur Rai of Santang, Dhankuta. Another victim Durga Rai of Ward 8,Dhankuta Municipality, said she had no option other than to stay put in her quake-damaged house.
"Government people came to see our damaged houses many times, but to no avail. As they have done nothing to relocate us so far, we are staying put in the damaged house risking our lives," she lamented, adding, "We have got many assurances, but don't know how long we have to wait." Assistant CDO Ram Narayan Shrestha said there was delay in providing the grant as the provincial government did not send its share of the grant fund.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 18 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
