By Narendra Dhakal, Gorkha, Nov. 26: A landslide in Arughat Rural Municipality-7, Gorkha, has displaced many locals. The landslide that has been occurring for years has been gradually moving towards the settlements and some of the households have already shifted to safer places. Those who are unable to move to safer places have no choice but to live risking their life.

“I built a house by borrowing money but now the landslide has swept away my home and land. I have nowhere to go,” said a local Deu Bahadur Baniya.

The landslide has swept away about 12 to 13 ropanis of his paddy field and other 17 ropanis of land.

He complained that he had to make a living by farming in the remaining five to six ropanis of land.

 “This landslide has caused upheaval. We are homeless now,” he said.

Along with him, about 15 other houses of Bhugol Bahadur Baniya, Khum Bahadur Baniya, Deep Bahadur Baniya, Gyan Bahadur Baniya, Ram Prasad Neupane, Bhojraj Neupane and others are at high risk.

A few houses built even after the 2015 earthquake are also facing problems such as erosion, tearing and collapsing because of the landlside. Those who have their land elsewhere and those who can move to other places have already left the settlement. Some have migrated to Chitwan and Kathmandu, others have moved to safer places nearby.

“I have also bought some land to get relocated,” said another landslide victim, Rajendra Baniya.

He moved to a safer place near the village in 2005. The landslide started in 1987 because of a flood in the Stul River. Since then, the landslide has been dragging people's houses, farmlands and forests.

According to the locals, the landslide has affected more villages since the 2015 earthquake. The landslide has put Saurbote, Kudele, Satbise and Simle villages of Arughat Municipality Ward No. 7 at risk.

Repeated attempts were made to control the landslide. However, locals say that preventive work could not be completed from the limited budget. The budget allocated last year to control the landslide was also returned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a very old and big landslide,” said Ward Chairman Ran Bahadur Baram, adding that attempts were made to control it in the past as well.

The landslide has also damaged a building of the local Gyanbhoomi Primary School, which was built after the earthquake. The landslide has directly affected all the villages and settlements located at the upper part of it, said local Gagan Adhikari.

“Individual homes, schools and public buildings are all in a state of poor condition, and the cultivatable fields are crumbling,” he said.

Geologists who arrived in the area after the 2015 earthquake had said it was too risky to build a house in the area. Locals said no necessary initiative was taken to relocate the landslide victims.

They have accused the local government, provincial and central governments of not taking the issue seriously.

They also complained that the people's representatives elected from the same constituency have been indifferent to their woes.