Naso Rural Municipality in Manang has decided to establish a temporary office at Besisahar of Lamjung district after Dharapani, the administrative centre of the rural municipality, was hit by the June 15 Marsyangdi river flooding that also swept away the office of the rural municipality.

On Monday, an executive meeting of the rural municipality decided to operate the temporary office from Besisahar. According to the rural municipal office, the temporary office has to be set up at Besisahar to operate day-to-day administrative work in emergency situations.

Bishwa Bandhu Regmi, chief administrative officer of the rural municipality, said, “Around 200 people from more than 50 families have been displaced from Naso Rural Municipality. Chame road and electricity supply have also been damaged by the floods. Besisahar is only the appropriate location to resume administrative work as it also has banks.”

Govinda Bahadur Ranabhat, the senior programme officer of the rural municipality, said, “The fiscal year is ending soon and there is a backlog of administrative work. That’s why we have to run a temporary office immediately.”

On Tuesday, some employees of the rural municipality, who were stuck at Naso Rural Municipality, returned to Besisahar by taking a free ride in a helicopter that had reached Naso to distribute relief.

According to Ranabhat, there’s currently no condition to operate an office in Dharapani, where 10 families have been displaced so far.

According to Bishnu Lamichhane, the chief district officer of Manang, Dharapani area is still at risk of more monsoon-induced disasters.

Chief District Office of Lamjung Hom Prasad Luitel said efforts are on to manage a government building to be used as the office of Naso Rural Municipality, said Luitel.

Between June 14 and June 15, the flooded Marsyangdi river had swept away the office building of Naso Rural Municipality, offices of Prabhu Bank, Prime Commercial Bank, border police post, a few hotels and 10 houses at Dharapani.

According to chief administrative officer Regmi, he, along with 14 other employees, spent the night in a cave nearby after the floods wreaked havoc on June 14.

“We managed to escape and survived. All the goods and documents of the office were swept away,” said Regmi.

Government employees and the local people are now taking shelter at Odar village. The floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains swept away roads and foot trails connecting one village to another and one ward to another.

“The victims somehow managed to reach Odar but now they are cut off from other villages. The relief materials sent earlier by the rural municipality are not sufficient,” he said.

Naso Rural Municipality has decided to provide 15 sacks of rice and two sacks of salt each to the affected wards. An additional sack of rice has been provided to a completely displaced household.

The local unit said it does not have the resources to provide relief to all the displaced people and has sought help from district and provincial authorities.

“We don’t expect transportation to resume any time soon given the condition of the roads,” said Regmi. “We haven’t been able to reach out to all the displaced people. The higher authorities must act fast to avert any health emergencies in the villages.”