ITAHARI: People victimised by last year's Koshi floods and those earlier have launched separate programmes of agitation in Sunsari district.

The recent flood victims have put forward an 18-point demand, including the implementation of the report prepared by a high level task-force while the past victims have demanded compensation for their land swept by the Koshi.

To begin with, the recent victims have shut markets, schools and businesses in the flood-affected areas of Sunsari. The victims, who began their agitation by organising a rally in the district headquarters, Inaruwa, yesterday, have demanded solution to the problem of the landless in the flood-affected areas, compensation for the public land they were utilising and subsidised essential goods until the implementation of the report of the high-level task force.

Pacha Narayan Mandal, coordinator, Koshi Flood Victims' Struggle Committee, threatened to launch tougher protests if their demands were not met. He said they were working out the modality of the second phase of agitation.

Mandal said they would lock up all the government offices concerning the flood victims and call transportation and general strikes in their second phase of agitation, accusing authorities of not implementing the report of the task force and the cabinet decision, 15 months after the disaster.

"The victims are spending wintry nights under tents," he said. "The landless are running out of food supplies."

Mandal said corruption was rampant during the collection of relief materials for the victims and suggested a probe into the same. He warned that 42,000 flood victims would take to the streets and paralyse the country if their demands were not met.

Victims of past floods have also started agitation in Prakashpur, Mahendranagar and Barahchhetra, demanding compensation for their assets lost 44 years back. As many as 3,900 families of three VDCs were displaced then.

Staging a sit-in at the District Administration Office Sunsari recently, the victims have threatened to halt reconstruction works on the river if their demands were not met.