Flood victims living in tents for 2 weeks
RAJBIRAJ: Shovarati Khatun of Hanumannagar Kankalni Municipality-6 in Saptari district has been living under a tent for two weeks after flood gushed into human settlements in the district.
Although Khatun's house that was swamped with water has dried up, she is reluctant to return home fearing flood might reoccur anytime and inundate the village. She said, "I am not courageous enough to return home as the monsoon season is not over yet."
More than 36 families have been living under the tents even though their flooded houses have already dried up. After the incident, majority of the villagers have taken shelters at the peak area around Koshi dam in the district.
Majority of the victims are land squatters, they have been living in the west low point area near the dam for years. One of the victims, Idris Ali said, "Due to a lack of a safe place to live in, we are putting our lives at risk to live in the area."
He lamented that the concerned authority is not giving enough attention towards their plight.
Another local, Dhruba Raya said, "With the rise in water level in Koshi river, flooded water can gush into the human settlement at any time. We are hesitate to return to our homes."
"During the time of inundation, we get four to five kilos of food items and a tent. We request the government to provide us with a safe place to settle down," the victims demanded.
Mayor Sailesh Sah said, "The municipality is preparing to relocate eastern settlement to the west side of the dam." He also shared that the municipality would initiate to build free housing to landless people from this fiscal year.
More than four hundred houses in wards 5,6,7,10 and 12 of the municipality were inundated by the swollen Koshi river after torrential rainfall on August 28.