Gorkha. The flood in the Budhigandaki River on October 10 has caused a major damage to the Shanti Bazaar settlement in Arughat Rural Municipality-5 of Gorkha. The floods have destroyed houses and damaged food, clothes, electronic equipment, livestock and agricultural land, leaving the locals worried about shelter and food.

Raj Kumar Khatri, a local, said that there are 58 houses in Shanti Bazar. According to him, most of the houses in the settlement have been damaged by the flood. Even the belongings inside the houses have been washed away or buried. He said that before the flood, the Gandaki river used to flow from the other side of the settlement, but now the river is flowing from the courtyard of the house.

“It has been completely destroyed, nothing is there. Not a single house in our settlement, which has 58 households, is in a working condition. The only thing that can be removed is zinc sheets. “Paddy, chicken, TV, fridge have all been destroyed. Now we have nothing left. ’

Khatri said that the families displaced by the floods need immediate settlement. Khatri said that 28 families are currently living in the tents provided by the Nepal Red Cross Society. Other families are taking shelter temporarily in small tents.

He said that the government has announced to provide house rent of Rs 15,000 per month to the affected families for six months. However, after the floods destroyed their houses as well as their daily livelihood, the affected families are facing challenges to return to normal. The floods have not only affected the houses but also the livelihood of the families dependent on livestock and agriculture.

According to local Ghare Gurung, the crops planted on his two ropanis of land have been destroyed. He has been earning his livelihood by rearing goats, cows, chickens and other livestock, which has put him in financial crisis. The floods have damaged houses, farms and livestock, causing loss of sources of income for the locals. The homeless families are in urgent need of safe shelter, food, clothes and hygiene materials.

In the long term, there is a need to collect accurate damage data, rehabilitate and conduct livelihood programs.

The residents of the flood-hit Shanti Bazaar are now spending their days in temporary shelters. Those who have lost their homes and property are waiting for a safe settlement and a long-term arrangement to avoid such disasters in the future. See the rest of the picture: