Rautahat, March 31

In her mid-seventies, Ram Dulari Devi Das of Matsari in Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality, Rautahat, wonders how she would restore her home after the hailstorm yesterday damaged it.

“As the roof has been badly damaged, I had to spend the night under the bed,” she said.

Matsari is the place worst affected by yesterday’s hailstorm which also affected other parts of the district.

A resident of Matsari, Ram Dulari has a son, who is handicapped. So far, she has been looking after her son by washing dishes at others’ houses. The hailstorm has laid waste to the roof of her house and she has no means to repair her house.

Upon seeing journalists in her yard, the elderly rushed out to the porch thinking there was someone to provide her with relief. But it took no time for her eyes to be filled with tears as she realised none of them were there for the purpose, but just to listen to her plight.

“It (the house) was the only shelter for me and my family but the hailstorm has robbed me of my home,” bemoaned the woman.

“I’ve already had enough after the floods last year. I don’t know how I will cope with the damage yesterday’s hailstorm has done,” she said.

No different is the plight of Malahi Devi Sahani of the same village. After she lost her husband seven months ago, she is looking after her three small daughters all by herself. The only income she makes is by washing dishes at other peoples’ home.

“As there is no one to look after my children other than me, life has been really difficult for me. On top of that, the damage caused by yesterday’s hailstorm is too much for me to take,” she said.

Similar is the plight of many other people from poor and backward communities in Durga Bhagawati Rural Municipality Ward Number-1, Gangapipara, Ward-2, Bhalohiya and Ward Number-4, Pacharukhi.

But, as the central or the provincial government has failed to address their concerns even after two days of the natural disaster, this has left them dismayed.

DurgaBhagawati Rural Municipality, Ward No 3 chair Dharmendra Kumar Jha bemoaned the apathy of the provincial government and accused it of being irresponsible.