Ilam disaster victims await relief

By Our Correspondent,Ilam, Dec. 15: Mangali Bishwokarma’s family from Barbotey of Ilam Municipality-5 are without shelter and are still unable to rebuild their house destroyed by flood and landslide on October 4.

“We have received 30 sacks of cement and two tarpaulins as relief so far. We are still unable to rebuild our house,” said Mangali Bishwokarma. 

“The government has promised relief for temporary housing, but despite submitting several documents at the bank, we still haven’t received any financial assistance,” she added. 

Currently, her family is staying in a temporary shelter away from their destroyed home. Bishwokarma’s family is just one example of the many families displaced by the natural disaster in Ilam.

The flood and landslides on the night of October 4 completely damaged 338 houses, while 449 families were displaced. 

Of those, 11 families are residing in community buildings, and the rest are living with relatives and neighbours, according to the District Administration Office of Ilam. 

In total, 39 people lost their lives in the landslides and 828 houses sustained partial damage.

Recently, the federal government has provided financial relief of Rs. 50,000 per family for the construction of temporary shelters for flood and landslide victims.

However, the amount has not yet reached many affected families. The first instalment of Rs. 25,000 has been sent to the concerned municipalities by the District Administration Office. 

According to Officer Tika Niroula of the District Administration, the second instalment of Rs. 25,000 can only be provided after the victims receive the first instalment.

“The relief amount for temporary housing has not been disbursed fully and without it, the permanent housing funds will not be provided,” said Niroula. 

He explained that the local-level authorities identified the beneficiaries and submitted the list on the disaster portal. From the nine affected municipalities, 400 households applied for assistance to build temporary shelters. Of these, funds have been disbursed for 380 families. For the remaining 20 families, other organisations have provided temporary shelters, so they did not receive double relief.

Once the temporary shelters are completed, the government is preparing to provide Rs. 400,000 for the construction of permanent houses, with an additional Rs. 300,000 for land purchase for families whose land was also swept away by the landslide.

The damage caused by the disaster on October 4 is estimated to exceed Rs. 12 billion, affecting infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and irrigation systems. 

Niroula stated that the federal government has been requested to allocate a budget for the reconstruction of these infrastructures, but so far, no funds have been received. “We have received assurances that the budget will come, but as of now, we have not received any funds,” he said. 

“The damage is significant, and a large budget is required for the reconstruction work,” he added. 

While the government declared Ilam a disaster-hit district for three months, locals have expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of concrete progress in reconstruction efforts. 

Thakur Shrestha, a local of Ilam Municipality-5, said that as the three-month period is almost over, no visible improvements have been made in physical structures or infrastructure. “We were hopeful that after Minister Kulman Ghising’s visit, reconstruction would begin, but we have seen no progress,” he added.

Niroj Khadgi, the district secretary of the Nepali Congress, also criticised the government for its failure to act after declaring the district a disaster zone. 

“The declaration of the disaster zone will soon be over and still, the reconstruction of over 300 damaged infrastructures has not started. Who do we approach for accountability?” Khadgi asked. 

“Once the rainy season starts, what will Ilam do? The government must answer,” he added. 

The Chamber of Commerce of Ilam also reported significant impacts on the transportation and tourism sectors. 

“Since October 4, tourism has drastically declined in Ilam, affecting our local businesses, transport, and tourism industry,” said Krishna Paudel, president of the chamber. He further mentioned that the construction of permanent houses for victims has not even started yet.

The situation remains dire for the victims, who have been waiting for the promised relief and a clear plan for rebuilding their lives.