The rise in temperature across the far-western Tarai region in the last few days has added to the woes of those rendered homeless by the windstorm last Thursday.

The windstorm victims have no option but to seek shade under the trees during the day and try to catch some sleep under the tarpaulin at night. “Sometimes we go to our neighbour’s house and other times we sit under a tree to beat the heat. Staying under a tarpaulin during the day is unbearable,” said Anju Samal of Phulbari-14 in Kailali district. The Samal family has been forced to live under such circumstances since the raging windstorm blew away their roof last Thursday.

The windstorm victims further complained that they have received no substantial relief even after a week of the disaster.

“I was preparing to cook my evening meal when the windstorm ripped away our house. It has been seven days since the tragedy but we have not received much help. Nobody even came to ask us about the situation,” said Kalpana Nepali of Jugeda in Dhangadhi. The postpartum mother, along with her three children, is now taking shelter in her sister’s house. “I haven’t been able to sleep or eat well since the windstorm,” said Nepali.

The windstorm has rendered homeless 22 Dalit families in Jugeda settlement.

“We were living under a temporary shelter but the windstorm even took that from us. Nobody has been to our settlement with any kind of help,” said 70-year-old Nima Kami.

On Wednesday, Mayor of Dhangadhi Sub-metropolis Nripa Bahadur Wada and Deputy Mayor Sushila Mishra Bhatta reached Jugeda to inquire about the situation of the victims.

“We heard that they came but we didn’t receive any relief materials from them,” said Nepali, adding that she must take care of her newborn alone since her husband is in India for work.

Meanwhile, Mayor Wada said, “We are assessing the damage caused by the windstorm. We dispatched 20 tarpaulins in each settlement but they are not enough.”