National
Landslide victims urge CDO to move them to safer places
Landslide victims of Gangajaumna Rural Municipality in northern Dhading have urged Chief District Officer Mahesh Acharya to shift their settlement to safer locations.Harihar Singh Rathour
Landslide victims of Gangajaumna Rural Municipality in northern Dhading have urged Chief District Officer Mahesh Acharya to shift their settlement to safer locations.
The chairperson and vice chairperson of the rural municipality also requested CDO Acharya to take initiatives to resettle the families who have been living in landslide prone areas.
CDO Acharya and his team had reached landslide prone Ree village to distribute relief materials on Thursday.
On Wednesday, eight houses of the Pundrung settlement of Gangajamuna Rural Municipality-2 were buried in a landslide. At least 17 families are said to have been displaced due to landslide threats. “Around 80 houses of Pundrung are at high risk of landslide. The government should consider moving the settlements to safer locations,” said Bal Bahadur Adhikari, chairperson of the rural municipality.
Continuous rains in the area had triggered the landslide on the same place where a massive landslide had occurred after the Gorkha Earthquake of April 2015.
Assistant Chief District Officer Liladhar Adhikari said the local administration was yet to decide the area where the landslide victims could be resettled.
“Now, the elected representatives will select a place and recommend the National Reconstruction Authority to relocate the victims,” said Adhikari.
The local administration had arranged a helicopter to transport relief and other emergency supplies to Pundrung.
The local administration distributed Rs 10,000 each and relief materials to the displaced families. According to the geological survey, eight settlements in northern Dhading are at high risk of landslides. A team of geologists had recommended that the government move the settlements to safer locations.
Five settlements in Bhotekoshi at risk
Five settlements of Bhotekoshi Rural Municipality are at high risk of landslides after incessant rains over the past few days.
Hundreds of families living in the rural municipality are at high risk after landslides in Gapa, Hindi, Hyangle, Chaku, Duguna and Bokchen areas. Dhurba Paudel, a local of Hindi in Jhirpu, said villagers are having sleepless nights due to landslide threat.
Around 60 families are living under landslide threat in Jhirpu and Hindi of Phulpingkatti alone.
Vehicular movement along 26 kilometres of the Barhabise-Tatopani road section has been obstructed due to landslides in various parts of the highway.