DHADING, JUNE 16
As monsoon marks its arrival with increased incidents of floods and landslides, District Administration Office of Dhading has alerted all residents in the district to remain cautious.
Like other places across the country, Dhading too is receiving incessant rainfall since the onset of monsoon.
On Tuesday, heavy rains caused landslide at Dhungakhani (stone-quarry) of Tikrang Cement Factory blocking Araniko Highway for almost a day.
As many as 34 residential areas of northern part of the district are at increased risk this season, which has been so especially after the topography in the region has become vulnerable owing to 2015 earthquakes.
Geologists had earlier warned that the aforementioned 34 villages are at high risk of landslides. However, despite the warnings, people living in those areas have not been relocated or rehabilitated to a safer place yet.
Years have passed since the geologists recommended that the place is not safe, is prone to additional disasters and that immediate evacuation is required -- but to no avail.
There are 25 large and medium rivers flowing through the district and 1,743 smaller rivulets. These rivers and rivulets observe flash floods and increase in water level during rainy seasons.
Likewise, as many as 400 houses in the northern part of the district face risk of landslips. People residing here live in fear and spend many-a-sleepless nights even if there is so much as a drizzle of rain.
They are compelled to take this risk despite the threatening situation as no initiative has been taken to mitigate such threats from policy making level, shares member of Red Cross Society, District branch Dhading, Mimba Tamang.
District Disaster Management Committee had listed Negrang of Khaniyabas, Hindung of Rubi valley, Simple, Chaamrang, Cheprang, Gamrang of Gangajamuna, Andar, Kichet, Karang, including others of the northern part as risky zones for habitation, four years ago.
Similarly, places such as Ri, Lapa, Setung, Jharlang and Tipling are located in landslide prone area and yet people reside there as there is nowhere else to go.
Based upon the inspection of representatives from the Parliament and geologists, Village rehabilitation recommendation committee had recommended 47 villages to be transferred to the Natural Disaster Relief Committee.
Eleven villages were listed as completely risky and not fit for residing. A total of 259 houses needed to be transferred immediately.
The discussion of transferring the people in the area is carried out every year, however, any action in regard to the same is yet to be carried out.
District Disaster Management Committee had marked 17 places that were safe to reside and 13 places were to be prepared as community home construction, as per the workplan.
For those who cannot build houses in their own lands, government had allocated Rs 200,000 as grant for such 96 families to buy land in other areas. But the implementation of the programme could not run further and was halted midway.
