Gandaki Province
Salleri residents demand relocation from flood-ravaged village
More than a dozen houses in Salleri are at risk of displacement by landslides and floods.Hariram Upreti
Seventy-year-old Tharapati Gurung of Salleri in Chumnubri Rural Municipality-3, Gorkha has been taking shelter in a flimsy hut ever since his house was swept away by the flooded Budhigandaki river on June 15.
He is in distress thinking about the cold winter days ahead.
“I survived the floods but could not salvage my belongings. The floods swept away all my documents, including my land ownership and citizenship certificates, and food grains, clothes and utensils. Now I have nothing left,” said Tharapati. “I am surviving on relief materials distributed after the disaster but I will run out of them soon.”
The flooded Budhigandaki river in June had swept away two houses and damaged four others in Salleri. A total of 17 families had been displaced by the floods in Salleri. Eleven families returned to their houses after the water level receded but six other families displaced by the flood are still taking shelter in temporary huts.
The locals say that although the chances of heavy rainfall are slim, there are 18 houses situated on a hillside abutting Budhigandaki river in Salleri that is fast eroding from the damage caused by the monsoon rain in June.
“We have been languishing in makeshift tents for the past five months. It is not easy. We can’t move back to the settlement because the ground can give away anytime,” said Sundar Gurung, one of the flood victims. “The government authorities should help us reconstruct a house in a safer place.”
Laxman Gurung, another displaced person in Salleri, said, “I went out to collect firewood on June 15. When I returned home in the evening, the floodwaters had already entered the house. We spent that night under a tent. When I came back the next morning, my house had disappeared in the flood,” said Laxman.
The locals have demanded that the authorities carry out a geological study with the help of experts to determine whether the village is habitable or not.
According to the office of Chumnubri Rural Municipality, efforts are underway to move the flood-displaced families to a safe location.
“Salleri village is still at risk of floods. We are working to find a safer location for the villagers. The local unit also plans to consult with geologists and experts to determine the extent of damage the floods have caused on the landmass,” said Dhan Bahadur Gurung, the chairman of the local body.