Sirens installed in Bajura’s landslide-prone settlements

By Sher Bahadur Sarki, Bajura, Nov. 18: A pre-landslide warning machine (siren) has been installed in the landslide-prone Bajedi settlement of Budhiganga Municipality-2, Bajura district.

This settlement is prone to landslides during the rainy season, so a siren has been installed to alert the residents of probable landslides.

Dinesh Raj Jaisi, a local resident of Bajedi in Budhiganga Municipality-2, said, “I  have spent fearful nights wearing a watch, fearing the overflow of water every time it rains heavily during the rainy season.”

He further stated, "The installation of a siren that provides advance notice of coming landslides and floods in the village has reduced our fear.”

Before the installation of the siren, the residents of Bajedi were compelled to spend sleepless nights fearing the probable landslide, but with the installation of two sirens in the village, people could be made aware of the probable landslide in advance and could escape the disasters. 

Due to landslides, about 90 households in this area have already been displaced, and 135 households are on the verge of being displaced.

Even though the locals have repeatedly appealed to both the local and federal governments for assistance for the relocation of the settlement, so far, there has been no response to their plea.

With the ongoing threat of landslides, the locals are facing the possibility of displacement from their homes. About 7,000 hectares of land in this area have turned barren due to the frequent landslides.

Dharma Raj Jaisi, Member of Ward No. 2 in Budhiganga Municipality, said, "When this machine triggers a warning, it emits a sound that can be heard up to one kilometre. 

This sound makes it easy for the locals to flee the risky areas when a landslide is imminent."

Most of the villages in Bajura are facing the risk of landslides, thus it is deemed essential to install sirens to provide advance notice, making it easier for the residents to evacuate.

According to the rural municipality, the installation of this siren marks the first of its kind in Bajura district.

According to Rama Laxman Group, it can alert not only the locals in Bajedi but also those in the neighbouring Guibanbasi of Khaptad Chhededaha Rural Municipality, making them aware of the potential landslides.