Monsoon in: villagers spend sleepless nights

DAILEKH: The unprecedented floods in Khahare stream triggered by torrential rain in Chisapani village of Barat VDC 5, south of Dailekh district, has been the rendering 25 households in the riverbanks to spend sleepless nights during rainy season every year.

Altogether 125 people have been living in the banks of the stream even as there is an impending danger of landslide and floods in their settlement. Nagendra Shahi, a local, says the villagers are always on a look out for shelters in their neighbours’ as soon as the sky overcasts.

“Till now, the flood has inundated seven houses in the area, completely damaging them and sweeping away summer crops like corn and paddy,” Tilbir BK, one of the victims, said.

According to a political activist, Prem Bahadur Malla, the entire locals of Jalukeni village are on the verge of displacement as seven drainages were mixed into the already swollen stream in course of black-topping of Surkhet-Dailekh road section some time ago. “We have to stay awake throughout the night as soon as the rain begins,” says another local,

Dal Bahadur BK, adding, “If the water level in the stream is increased due to the heavy rainfall, we often go to our neighours with our valuables.”

Bhim Bahadur Malla, another villager, further fears the floods in the stream might turn the arrable land into barren fields in case attempts are not made to contain the stream in summer.

“One day, it will be no wonder if our houses are swept away in the floods,” he lamented. Harried locals blamed the callous district adminstration for the perennial drainage woes.