Landslides leave Chulel Village families homeless

By Netra Shahi,Jumla, Aug. 12: Karnajit Wad, a resident of Chulel Village, Ward no. 2 of Sinja Rural Municipality, Jumla, endured a tragic ordeal after his house was destroyed by a landslide in 2022. After days of continuous rainfall, the landslide completely destroyed his home, forcing the family to seek shelter in a neighbour’s house. Even now, the memory of that painful moment leaves Karnajit emotionally shaken.  His family was compelled to live under a tent for a long time.

Similar was the condition of Dhanraj Wad, another resident of the same village, whose house collapsed due to the landslide. His entire family lost not only their home but also all their clothes and belongings, making it extremely difficult to start over.

Likewise, Devikrishna Acharya, also from the same village, lost his house, and tragically, two of his cows were buried and killed in the landslide.

In Jumla, the continuous rainfall from October 5 to 12, 2022, triggered floods and landslides, resulting in the loss of 10 lives and the destruction of hundreds of homes. During the same period, hundreds of houses in the Sinja Rural Municipality of the district were also completely damaged.

After the destruction of people’s houses, the local government initially focused on relief management. Now, with small-scale investments, reconstruction of homes completely destroyed by the disaster is actively underway. As houses are being rebuilt, the landslide victims have expressed their happiness.

Karnajit said that even though the government's support came late, he is happy that his house has now been rebuilt with the help he received.

According to Tirtha Wad, the Ward Chairperson of Ward No. 2, Sinja Rural Municipality, Jumla, the floods and landslides of 2022 completely destroyed 32 houses in Ward No. 2. Among these, 19 houses in Chulel village alone were damaged. Of these, 14 houses belonged to Dalit settlements, causing significant distress to the community.

According to Ward Chairperson Wadke, 14 houses have been constructed using local stone and soil with the cooperation of the Rural Municipality, the federal government, and the homeowners themselves. 

The houses being rebuilt belong to Lalbahadur Wad, Manbahadur Wad, Tirtha Wad, Singh Wad, Ratan Wad, Dhanbahadur Wad, Sarpa Wad, Dhanraj Wad, Karnajit Wad, Govind Upadhyay, Aviraj Acharya, Devikrishna Acharya, Dane Wad, and Amarsingh Wad.

He also mentioned that the houses of Karmakanya Hamal and Dhan Wad are yet to be built. A total of 12 houses have been constructed in Ward No.2, with 5 houses constructed in Ghodga, 3 in Bishtwada village, 2 in Ranukhana, and 2 in Awasbi village.

The Rural Municipality provided Rs. 50,000, and NDRRMA contributed Rs. 45,000 as initial support for the reconstruction. The remaining installments will be provided by the federal government. Similarly, Sinja Rural Municipality has begun reconstructing the houses damaged by the floods and landslides of 2022 in various wards according to priority. Chairperson Purna Prasad Dhital stated that the flood victims will no longer have to live in temporary shelters or under tents in Sinja.

He informed that NDRRMA has released the first installment of the budget for 146 completely damaged houses. Additionally, the organisation PESH Nepal has taken responsibility for the reconstruction efforts.

For the houses of vulnerable individuals, support has been provided through the Utthan Project, which is funded by Caritas Germany and Caritas Nepal, offering Rs. 50,000 per house. Under this initiative, nine houses have already been built.