The District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) in Sarlahi has postponed the relief distribution programme, suspecting that some fake flood victims were collecting aid.

The committee’s move, however, has saddened many  genuine flood victims who are staying under tarpaulin makeshifts.

Officials at the DDMC said they had stopped relief distribution to collect the details of the destruction. According to initial data of the DDMC, 2,400 families were affected by the floods in mid-July.

A committee meeting in Malangawa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi, decided on Friday to stop relief distribution to conduct a detailed survey. The meeting also decided to repair damaged parts of Postal Highway and other feeder roads.

Laldhari Paswan, a displaced flood victim in Dhankaul Rural Municipality-3, said they are waiting for relief materials. “How can we stay for a long time under a flimsy makeshift?” asked Paswan.

Another Paspati Devi, a local woman, who was displaced due to the flooded stream around 10 days ago, said that they had to wait for at least two weeks to receive relief materials.

Chief District Officer Krishna Bahadur Raut, who is also chairman at the DDMC, said that the meeting had decided to provide immediate relief to those rendered homeless. “Others will receive relief only after the survey,” said Raut.

A few days ago, authorities had collected data of the flood victims only by asking ward chairmen about the destruction.

“Now, we will gather details of destruction by identifying victim’s names, their family members and property loss,” said Raut, adding that they have to conduct the survey as they received complaints that fake flood victims are also receiving relief materials.

Authorities said that they needed to conduct the survey to make relief distribution process effective. All of the stakeholders concerned have agreed to distribute relief through a one-door policy.

The local administration was distributing food grains and tarpaulins to the flood affected households in the district.

The rain swollen Manusmara stream inundated Dhankaul, Harkathawa, Mahinathpur, Dhaptol, Chhatol, Bairiya, Hirapur and Bhawanipur among two dozen villages in the district. Some of the victims have already returned to their homes after the water level receded in their settlement while others are still staying under the tents.

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