By Our Correspondent, Salyan, June 13: Following the nationwide surge in the cases of COVID-19 infection and mortality, the district administration of Salyan enforced lockdown on May 2 to prevent the spread of the virus.

Unfortunately, the virus containment measures taken by the district administration officials have left rendered many vulnerable daily wage earners helpless in arranging livelihood for their families.

It has already been one and a half months since the district went under strict lockdown and many daily wage earners are unsure how they are going to survive if the lockdown is extended further.

The situation of 40 landless Badi families of Sharada Municipality-1, who have been arranging their livelihood by preparing sand and stone ballast on the bank of Sharada River, is no different. Since the virus containment measures taken by the government have completely halted the selling of sand and ballast in the district, fear of food crisis has already been looming among the Badi families, who survive from hand to mouth on a daily basis.

A 68-year-old Dabbal Badi finds himself among many vulnerable workers of the Badi family of the area, who are now having a hard time arranging livelihood for their families.

He shared that his family had been facing difficulties meeting their daily expenses as the ongoing restriction had halted the sale of ballast and sand from the river banks.

Another local, Sirjana Badi shared they all were finding it difficult to fend for their families. “Those who have taken out a loan by mortgaging their houses are more worried as they are clueless when they will be able to repay their loan,” she added.

Laxmi Budhathoki of Shantijagar in Sharda Municipality-1 also shared her worries that if this continued then she would be unable to feed her family.

“I don’t know how I could feed my family. If the situation remains the same, hunger will kill us instead of the virus,” she lamented.

She also expressed her dissatisfaction with how the local level and organisations have failed to support the poor to feed their family. Asking authorities to provide relief to the poor families, Nirmala Badi said they may otherwise die of starvation