Dolakha, August 20

As the earth near their homes continues to slip, locals of Newartole in Dolakha’s Bhimeshwor Municipality-7 have been spending sleepless nights for fear of being swept away in a landslide.

Fifty-nine-year-old Amritmaya Shrestha hasn’t slept for the past one week or so. “Ever since the heavy rainfall last week, the landslide near our home hasn’t stopped,” said the woman, adding her home is just five meters away from the site where land is continuously slipping.

Amritimaya’s husband Sher Bahadur said they had been staying in a goat’s pen for the past one week. “As we couldn’t stay in our houses we have been staying in a goat’s pen to be safe from the impending disaster,” he said, adding sleep has been a rare comfort.

Sher Bahadur and his son had shifted to their new houses just four months ago after construction with the money they received as grant from the National Reconstruction Authority.

“After living in temporary shelter for years, it’s been just a few months we had shifted to our homes before we’re back to the open,” lamented Sher Bahadur’s daughter-in-law Kamala.

In fact, the landslide has also posed risk to dozens of other houses in the village. The landslide seems to have stopped at a tree now, but once the tree collapses, with it around half a dozen homes are sure to be swept away in landslide.

In view of the threat, Bhimeshwor Municipality-7 chair Kailash Kumar Shrestha visited the site and alerted the locals to the possible danger, saying there was no alternative to being alert.

Meanwhile, the locals have lamented the apathy of the local body concerned towards their plight.