Floods leave many in dire straits

Floods leave many in dire straits



POST REPORT


KATHMANDU, July 31 - Weeklong inundation across several districts has wreaked havoc, with hundreds of displaced locals facing looming epidemic and starvation amid the ravaged infrastructure.
Reports from Sarlahi said locals are suffering from diarrhea and fever. A team of Red Cross Society that managed to reach Khairwa VDC on Monday, distributed medicines and relief to flood and disease affected victims.

Flood victims in Bardiya and Banke districts are starving as transportation to many villages remains disrupted. According to local administration, transportation difficulties have left Nepalgunj without any food supply.

Similarly, locals of 11 VDCs in Rajapur Tappu of Bardiya are starving. Although locals in the area are using steamers to cross the Karnali river, the situation in the villages is worse as roadways to nearby cities remain damaged. Mean-while, a large number of locals from Mahammadpur, Suryagaudi and Taduwa are sheltering in makeshift tents along the Gulariya-Nepalgunj road section.

Almost 2,000 locals of Nepalgunj are sheltering in dharmashalas, educational institutes, government offices and hospitals since the last week. Flood victims have been complaining that the local administration is being 'partial' in relief distribution.

Likewise, locals in Ilam are also suffering due to lack of commodities as the rainfall has damaged the 15-kilometer-long Damak-Ravi Falgu-nand roadway. According to locals, Luvde, Sakfara, Fuyetappa and Aamchowk VDCs in Ilam and Rabi, Kurumba and Lumba VDCs among others in Panchthar districts are worst-hit due to food scarcity.

Our Biratnagar correspondent said that locals of Niguradin VDC-7 in Taplejung district have been staying at their neighbors' homes after landslide damaged their houses. Similarly, landslides also displaced three houses in Aankhivui VDC of Sankhuwasabha district, Monday night.

In Sunsari, flood victims on Tuesday criticized local bodies for distributing 'inadequate' relief materials. However, Chief District Officer Prem Narayan Sharma said the administration has already distributed over 16 quintals of ration to 2,000 displaced locals of Basantapur and Narsingh VDCs. The administration also provided relief to over 700 flood victims of Inaruwa municipality who had launched agitation demanding relief.

In Parsa, Red Cross Society in the district said nearly 330 houses have been displaced so far. According to the Red Cross team's report - Dhobini, Langadi, Jhauwa Guthi, Bindabasini, Mad-hwal, Shrisiya, Prasauni-birta and Prasaunibhatha VDCs, including ward no 15 and 16 of Birgunj municipality were waterlogged till Tuesday. The team also provided relief materials to victims.

In Sarlahi, locals of Sakarpura VDC have started repairing the Bhim barrage on Khado River after two weeks of rainfall ceased on Tuesday. Earlier, nearly 2,500 households in Sakarpura, Rampura Malhaniya, Launiya and Tilathi VDCs were displaced after the river wrecked the barrage.

2 more killed in Mahottari

MAHOTTARI, July 31 (PR) - Although the impact of rainfall is diminishing in other districts, inundation in Mahottari claimed two more lives on Monday. According to police, Lalita Devi Yadav, 25, of Chakwa in Halkhori VDC-8 died after being drowned in the Jangaha River on Monday. Similarly, Taslim Miya, 40, of Sarpallo VDC-8 was drowned in Akushi River the same day. With this, the total flood casualty in Mahottari has reached seven. Meanwhile, five members of a family in Gonarpura VDC-5 of the district were injured when their house collapsed. Seventy-five-year-old Bartu Devi was seriously injured. The injured are receiving treatment at a local health post, police said.



Posted on: 2007-07-31 20:18:46 (Server Time)

Flashfloods and landslides claim 5 lives

Flashfloods and landslides claim 5 lives

At least five persons have died while a teenage girl has gone missing after being swept away by flashfloods caused by heavy rainfall in many districts of the country for the last couple of days. Floods and landslides have also crippled normal life in many districts as vast swathes of land and various settlements have been inundated due to heavy rainfall.

According to various reports, Sabitri Gharti Magar, 40, of Sewar in Dhikpur VDC, Dang district died after being swept away by a river Wednesday afternoon. Her body was found some 400 meters away from her house. Similarly, Nimraj Khanal, 24, a resident of Matera VDC-3 in the same district was swept away by a flashflood while crossing the Kala stream in Tulsipur Tuesday evening. His dead body was recovered some distance away from his house Wednesday morning.

In another incident, 29-year-old Geeta Pulami of Rauta VDC, Udaypur died when she was buried under a landslide in Tarkhola Wednesday. While 25-year-old Angira Khadka of Ratnabati was swept away and died while crossing the flooded Sokhu river, a teenage girl has gone missing when the river also swept her away, reports said.

In Kohanpur of Banke district, Sashi Poudel, 35, was killed after being trapped in her house in Kohalpur-4 as it collapsed due to flood on Wednesday.

The Kathmandu Post reported that hundreds of local have been rendered homeless in Mahottari as rainfall continue to wreak havoc in the district. Many thatched-roofed houses in the villages have collapsed. Similarly, over 300 houses of Birgunj sub-metropolis have been inundated while scores in other villages in Parsa district have also come under water due to flashfloods. Normal life in Sunsari, Saptari, Chitwan and Surkhet districts has also been affected due to rainfall and flashfloods.

A team from the Area Police Post Narayanpur rescued passengers and salvaged a bus that was on the verge of being swept away by the Patre stream on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, as flashfloods and landslides continue to affect life in many districts, experts at the Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP) fear that things can get worse as this is just the beginning of monsoon. However, the department has taken no measures to prevent disaster in inundation-prone areas.

“The India-built Laxmanpur, Khurdalautan and several other dams and structures at many border points along rivers flowing from Nepal to India are part of the reason behind the inundation,” Khom Raj Dahal, Deputy Director General of DWIDP told the Kathmandu Post. nepalnews.com ag July 26 07