A helicopter finally reaches flood-isolated Tiru of Rasuwa, 15 days after the devastating deluge
With all roads and bridges washed away by the catastrophic August 26 floods, the village has been effectively cut off from the outside world. The village was effectively cut off from the outside world for over two weeks until a helicopter brought relief supplies on Wednesday. Post File Photo
A helicopter carrying relief material reached the far-flung village of Tiru in Rasuwa, the district hardest hit in the August 26 floods, on Wednesday, 15 days after the devastating deluge tore through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river basins.
Tiru is among the most remote villages in the district, lying across the mighty Trishuli river. With all bridges linking it swept away by the massive floods, the village has been effectively cut off from the outside world.
The floods washed away all roads and bridges linking the village and disrupted electricity and communication services. More than 500 people from the village remain unaccounted for after the floods, according to Mar Ling Tamang, chair of Uttargaya Rural Municipality’s ward 1, where Tiru lies.
“The situation here is extremely difficult,” Tamang said. “The entire village is under a blockade-like situation… It is not possible to reach the area even on foot.”
The helicopter delivered food supplies to the stranded residents on Wednesday and Thursday.
Tuk Prasad Subedi, spokesperson for Uttargaya Rural Municipality, said they sought help from NDRRMA, the national disaster management authority, after they remained in the dark about the situation of the people trapped in Tiru village.
“We were uncertain about what was happening there as the state could not reach the area even two weeks after the flood,” Subedi said.
Chief District Officer Kamal Prasad Pandey of Rasuwa said relief materials have been supplied to all affected places in the district, and local units have been coordinating the supply.
“We are aware of the problems faced by people affected by the flood,” Pandey said. “We have been trying to deliver relief materials at the earliest.”
Uttargaya Rural Municipality is located on both sides of the Trishuli river. With the flood sweeping away bridges and roads, residents now require helicopters to travel between the two sides.
Tiru is a large, picturesque settlement that sits within the rugged mountain geography of the Trishuli river corridor and remote settlement. Subedi said it normally takes an entire day of walking from the Uttargaya rural municipality office, which is near Betrawati, to reach Tiru. The settlement was heavily damaged during the 2015 earthquake as well.
Arjun Poudel is a health reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Before joining the Post, he worked for Sagarmatha Television, Naya Patrika, Republica and The Himalayan Times.
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