In the aftermath of natural calamities such as flood and landslides that have ravaged a number of settlements in the district over the past month while displacing thousands of people, the victims say they are in no mood for Dashain festive celebrations. Moreover, as it has been decided that compensation will be provided to the victims of such natural disasters only after Dashain, it has become certain that the festivities this year will not be the same for them.
For instance, one of the victims, Jyoti Nepali, who had celebrated the festival with much fanfare with her family members in her house last year, lamented over the fact that they will have to celebrate the festival inside their crammed tents. Meanwhile, looking confused, Nepali’s four-year old son, Bishal, a fourth grader at the local school, said that his parents had also not been able to buy him a new set of clothes this year, something that is sort of mandatory during Dashain.
Although celebrations are out of question under present circumstances, Jyoti’s eight member family have other things to worry about as they been displaced and are now left homeless as floods swept away their house at Birendranagar-2. “I had planted Jamara only for the sake of the children this year,” Nepali said.
Nepali grieved about having to see her family go to sleep on empty stomachs and face other difficulties while being forced to live inside crowded tents. Similarly, another victim Laxmi Nepali said that their Dashain would not have been so sad had the government distributed specified amount of money as festival expenses. Stating that they were yet to get even the relief materials distributed by the government, Laxmi said that more than not having enough food to eat the natural disaster victims are troubled by the fact that they have no permanent residence homes to live in. Meanwhile, flood victim Purna Kala BK said that due to their stay in the tents, their health condition has also started deteriorating. Many people are afflicted with eyesores, swelling of their body parts caused by the damp and chilly condition inside the tent including common cold.
While victims have been demanding that the government resettle them in safer locations, Heet Prasad Poudel, an official at the District Administration Office said that following government directives they were planning to distribute Rs 3,000 to each of the flood victims. Series of natural disasters like floods and landslides in Surkhet in the past one month have displaced 4,817 people from 1,115 households. The displaced have been taking shelter at 24 camps established by the government in the district.
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