Forty-two-year-old Durga Khatri of Manedobhan in ward 12 of Panauti Municipality in Kavrepalanchok, used to have a hectic schedule during Dashain, Hindu’s biggest festival, every year. A good number of relatives and guests visited her house to receive Tika. She, along with other family members, used to be quite busy welcoming guests, managing Tika and Jamara (barley shoots grown for worship) offering and catering foods to the visitors.

But the wheel of fate took a full turn for Durga this year. She neither grew Jamara, nor could manage good foods for Dashain this time. The devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on September 27 and 28 ravaged her house and swept away a shop she owned for livelihood.

“The floods in the Roshi river ruined us. We don’t have shelter to stay in. We don’t have rice, edible oil, lentils and other food items. Where should we grow Jamara since we don’t have our house? How can we celebrate a festival in such a painful situation?” said Durga, whose family is taking shelter by renting a room at her neighbour’s house.

Durga, as other Nepalis, had necessary preparations to celebrate the major festival with much fanfare. Her family reared two he-goats—one for Dashain and another for Kulpooja (clan deity worship). “The floods swept away both goats. I had a small grocery shop, as a source of income. The shop was also swept away. The flooded river left nothing with us. The disaster took us to the street,” lamented Durga. She doesn't know how her family manages food and how long they should stay in each other's house.

“The area where our house once stood is at risk of floods and landslides. How can we rebuild our house there? We don’t have land in other places nor have the money to buy land,” said Durga with a sigh of uncertainty.

The condition of hundreds of displaced families in Kavre, a hill district of Bagmati Province, is similarly dire. The disaster victims could not celebrate Dashain this year. They even complained of not having enough food to enjoy the festival with the family members.

The family of Shakuntala Khatri, aged 71, of ward 12 of Panauti Municipality did not celebrate Dashain this year. “The floods and landslides destroyed our house. Our Dashain was ruined,” said the woman, adding that she endured such a heart wrenching disaster for the first time in her life.

“There is not a single house which was not destroyed by the disaster in the village. There was no Dashain enthusiasm and festive mood in the entire settlement. Believing that we should not let our foreheads go bare without tika, we managed Dashain on a shoestring budget,” Shakuntala said.

Phanindra Timalsina of Patnekhola Ratobagar in ward 2 of Bethanchok Rural Municipality built a concrete house four years ago. His newly married sister and brother-in-law were scheduled to visit his house for the first time during Dashain this year. “I stored food and decorated the house for Dashain. But the floods swept away the house. We don’t have food, clothes and shelter now. How to celebrate the festival in this situation?” said Phanindra who is still in trauma.

Kavre is the worst hit district by the floods and landslides that struck various parts of the country in the last week of September. A total of 78 people were killed in Kavre alone while the rain-induced disasters ruined various infrastructures including houses, roads, the drinking water projects, utility poles.

The most affected areas in the district include Panauti Municipality, Bethanchowk Rural Municipality, Temal Rural Municipality, and Mandandeupur Municipality, with the highest number of casualties reported in Panauti. Eighteen people perished in floods and landslides in Panauti Municipality alone. In Roshi Rural Municipality, 13 people died, 12 deaths were reported in Bethanchowk Rural Municipality. Similarly, Temal Rural Municipality also saw 12 fatalities while seven people died in Mandandeupur Municipality.

According to Subas Paudel, assistant Chief District Officer of Kavre, preliminary data show that around 3,000 to 3,500 private houses were completely destroyed while 6,000 to 7,000 houses were partially damaged by the monsoon-induced disasters in the district. According to him, the government authorities and non-governmental organisations distributed shelter kits, tarpaulins and food items to the displaced families. “Preparations are on to distribute Rs15,000 to each displaced family to build temporary shelter as decided by the federal government,” said Paudel.

The floods and landslides affected the agricultural sector as well. According to preliminary data of the Agriculture Development Office, the floods and landslides destroyed agricultural crops worth around Rs420 million in Kavre.