Heavy rains, floods disrupts normal life in eastern Nepal

Floods inundated Bhediya and Mayanakaredi areas of Nepal's eastern Saptari district, crippling normal life since the last week of June.

The overflowing waters of the Khado, Jita, Balan, Mahuli, Dudhaila Rivers have entered into Saptari district and inundated residential areas of Rajbiraj Municipality as well as Tilathi, Pakari, Mainakderi, Launiya, Maleth, Sakarampura, Rampura Malhaniya, Rupani, Busbitti and Lokhram.

Over 1500 houses have been completely submerged in the district .The rainfall has waterlogged the area with water level rising to a height of up to four feet. Educational institutions in the area have been closed for a week.

More than 100 families of Bhediya, Mayanakaredi and Raghunathpur have been displaced after floodwaters entered their settlements when the rain-swollen Mahuli River breached its embankment at five places last week.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba visited the flood-hit Bhediya and Mayanakaredi areas in Saptari district on Friday and announced a relief package to the flood-affected households.

He also said the government would prioritise embankment building on rivers and streams to control floods and erosion.

The prime minister observed the dam reconstruction works being carried out by the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force.

Repeated floods have destroyed the houses and people have been living in a water world bereft of any basic amenities.

The flood victims are compelled to survive on the aid provided by donors and they have to drink the water directly from the sources which now are flooded.

" First of all we are facing problem of food We don't have pure drinking water, we have to drink the water from the river directly," Jitendra Dev, resident of Tilathi, Saptari said.

"Though the government has set up water outbreak committee and allocated budget for it, it got distributed but no action were taken. This year in order to construct the dam to control the river Khando River Control Committee was formed but there exists dispute amongst the locals as the government is making an attempt to encroach the land of people and no one let it happen," Amarnath Jha another flood victims laid the problems in brief.

The ward no. 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9 of Tilathi is the worst hit area where 90 houses are submerged. The flood also has washed out One hundred meter road in Tilathi which has resulted in the halt of transportation in Rajbiraj- Kunauli road section.

With more rain expected in the coming days the residents around the overflowing rivers and the inundated areas now are packing up their things and moving to safe areas or to relative's house for the time being.

The monsoon has already entered Nepal. Every year the low lying southern plains of Nepal have to face the problem of floods in which crops are hugely damaged and this year as well, the government has not adequately prepared itself to tackle possible disasters in terms of precautionary measures and emergency response and relief.The issues of flooding and water related disasters are meant to be solved by the local bodies but it's been about two decades that the people here in Terai region have to face scrutiny in lack of it.

But the hopes amongst the people in flood affected areas are high as the election for local levels in this particular district which falls in province no. 2 is slated for September 18, 2017.

-ANI