Taplejung's landslide victims awaiting rehabilitation

BY CHANDRA PANDAK

Taplejung, Feb. 11: Landslide-affected families in Maiwakhola Rural Municipality, Taplejung, are still awaiting permanent rehabilitation. Currently, the affected families in Sanghu are living in temporary shelters while waiting for permanent housing or rehabilitation.

About a year and a half ago, in mid-June, a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall displaced 62 families from the Sanghu Odak settlement, two in Tamrang Tole of Ward No. 4 and one in Ward No. 3. At that time, the rural municipality provided integrated temporary housing by constructing shelters at the under-construction Madan Bhandari Stadium in Sanghu of Ward No. 3 to resettle the displaced families.

The landslide victims currently living in these integrated shelters, which were built in a safe location, are now waiting for permanent housing. The temporary shelters, constructed with raw fir wood, bamboo and galvanised sheets, have made life difficult for the displaced families. They said that the living conditions are not as comfortable as expected, with extreme heat in summer and excessive cold in winter, making their stay in the temporary shelters challenging.

Victim Mingmarita Sherpa said that they are waiting for permanent housing. "It's not possible to return to the original settlement in Odak and if the government quickly arranges for permanent housing, it would make daily life easier," she said. Another landslide victim, Lakpa Sherpa, also expressed the need for a permanent structure as the bamboo and wood used in their current temporary house have begun to decay.

Victim Karsang Sherpa shared that they are still waiting for permanent housing. Although the local government had promised to take steps for permanent housing, he has not seen any progress. He further said that landslides had severely damaged their land, making farming impossible and they are now relying on farming on others' land in Adhiya and Kutha, making life in temporary shelters even more difficult.

Meanwhile, Maiwakhola Rural Municipality Chairman Bijay Prakash Banem said that efforts were being made to arrange permanent housing for the landslide-affected families. According to Banem, permanent housing for the affected families must be managed with the cooperation of the local, provincial and federal governments. He added that the local government has already taken steps with the provincial and federal governments for permanent housing arrangements.

A geographical study of the proposed permanent housing site has been completed with the involvement of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Chairman Banem stated that once the geographical study report is approved and the necessary funds are allocated by the federal and provincial governments, the process of constructing the permanent houses will begin. He also said that the local government has already allocated a budget of Rs. 6 million for the project.

He emphasised that if permanent housing is constructed as soon as possible, the affected families' daily lives and family conditions would normalise. However, he assured that if any problems arise while the victims are living in temporary shelters, the local government is always ready to assist in resolving them. All the displaced families are from the Sherpa community, which is part of the indigenous group.