Relocation begins after landslide kills 10 in Bisauna

By Toplal Aryal

Resunga (Gulmi), Jan. 11: The process of relocating a settlement has begun in Tham Bisauna of Musikot Municipality-1 after 10 people lost their lives in landslides. Residents have been displaced since last year following repeated landslides in the area.

According to local records, 10 people were killed in landslides in Bisauna from 2007 to 2024. As the entire village remains at high risk, families were forced to leave their homes.

To resettle displaced families in a safer location, Musikot Municipality has initiated the relocation process within Tham Ward No. 1. Under a 50-50 cost-sharing arrangement between the municipality and the beneficiaries, nine ropani and 15 aana of land near Thamdanda have been purchased, and land ownership certificates have been distributed.

Mayor of Musikot Municipality Jivlal Kharel ‘Jiwan’ said the relocation process is moving forward and that the municipality is now focusing on housing and livelihoods. 

He said coordination would be made with higher levels of government for housing construction, and if that is not possible, the municipality would take the lead itself. He urged beneficiaries not to lose hope, noting that they had only recently secured land in a safe area after a year and a half.

Beneficiaries have contributed between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 150,000 each, depending on plot size. A total of Rs. 3.5 million was spent to purchase the land, shared equally by the municipality and beneficiaries, said Pratima KC, a local and member of the municipal executive. KC said the municipality has been arranging rented accommodation for 15 displaced households since last year.

Landslide survivor Fulmati BK said her family urgently needs a permanent home. Her five-member family has been living in others’ houses for a year and a half since leaving the village. 

With their shelter and farmland in different places, daily life has become difficult. Although she managed to borrow money to pay for the land, she said there is still uncertainty over who will build the house.

Ward Chairperson Anand Shrestha of Musikot Municipality-1 said the steep slopes and weak soil had forced repeated displacement in the past. Although 20 to 22 households were at risk of displacement, land has currently been managed only for 15 families. 

He said some could not arrange the required 50 per cent contribution, while others were living elsewhere, making it difficult to include everyone in the process. He added that many Dalit settlements in the district are situated in hazardous and challenging terrain, making them highly vulnerable to landslides.