Ramchandra Thapa Magar, displaced by the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood, sent his wife and three-year-old daughter to Kathmandu on Sunday, fearing that they could not endure winter at a temporary holding centre.
A resident of Pairebeshi in Rasuwa, Thapa Magar has been taking shelter at a holding centre set up at Bhimsemesthan School in Uttargaya Rural Municipality. When the flood swept away his village and property, he had hoped the government would swiftly come to their aid and relocate the displaced families to a safer place.
But as the wait for resettlement drags on, uncertainty about their future has forced him to make a difficult choice: send his family to Kathmandu to rent a room.
“We never imagined the government would take so long to decide on the resettlement of displaced people,” Thapa Magar said. “I have no source of income to pay rent. Even then I sent my wife and child to Kathmandu, as I could not leave my family at the holding centre and go out in search of work. ”
This was a common refrain among thousands of victims of the devastating Bhotekoshi flood, who have grown tired of the federal government’s lackadaisical approach to making decisions on the resettlement of displaced people. Frustrated by the prolonged uncertainty, victims began meeting daily to discuss their predicaments and to pressure the federal government.
They have already submitted a memorandum three times to municipal officials, asking them to pressure the federal government on the resettlement plan. On Tuesday, victims from 10 wards of Bidur Municipality, two wards each from Belkotgadhi Municipality and Tarakeshwor Rural Municipality, and Kispang Rural Municipality formed a 33-member struggle committee to pressurise the federal government.
“We had also planned to submit a memorandum to the chief district officer of Nuwakot, but have decided to include demands of victims of other areas first,” said Binod Chitrakar, a flood victim from Bidur Municipality-5 Devighat, Nuwakot. “We waited two months for the government to make a decision, but the wait has become unbearable.”
Chitrakar, also the chair of Ward 5 in the municipality, complained that affected local units furnished details of the victims and losses weeks ago, but the federal government has taken too long to decide.
The government’s indecision has frustrated victims and led some to leave the holding centres. Only those displaced from Rasuwa district are residing in holding centres in Nuwakot, and those from Nuwakot have been living in rented rooms.
“Living in a rented room is also not easy for people who had their own multi-storey homes,” said Narayan Shrestha, a resident of Trishuli Bazar before the disaster struck. “We the displaced people have discussed what would be good for us, but the federal government has not said anything regarding our resettlement.”
Some of the victims have started demanding money from the government so that they could rent a space for residence.
“The suffering of flood victims will only increase if the government takes longer to decide on their resettlement,” said Biswas Nepali, a social activist who has been helping with relief distribution in Rasuwa.
“Local governments seem more concerned about the plight of the victims and want to act swiftly, but they have no authority to make decisions on their resettlement.”
Meanwhile, Dharma Raj Uprety, chief executive officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said the government has ensured relief for all flood victims and affected people in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts.
“We are in the process of declaring the missing people dead, and the decision will be taken within a week,” said Uprety. “Family members of the deceased will get Rs200,000 once their death is declared.”
Uprety, who visited flood-hit districts a few days ago, said that all holding centres have been managed properly.
‘This is not an earthquake-like scenario, and we are doing our best to address the plight of flood victims,” said Uprety. “A decision on resettlement will be made immediately after the Tihar festival.’