200 flood-displaced families of Belauri return to their homes

Kanchanpur: The families that were displaced from their homes due to the inundation caused by the Chaudhar and Doda rivers in Belauri municipality three days back have started returning back to their homes with the gradual improvement in the weather.

Two hundred of the 1,500 families that were displaced due to the flooding have returned to their homes. However, the remaining 1,300 families are still sheltering at relatively safe places as school buildings, community buildings and religious organisations' buildings, as the settlements are still under waterlogged condition.

The municipality has provided food stuffs to the displaced households. Deputy Mayor Jogram Chaudhary said that relief is being distributed to the displaced families. "Since the waterlogged condition still prevails in the flooded areas, we have not been able to reach to the affected families.

However, we have continued the relief distribution taking the relief materials by tractors," he said. The swollen Chaudhar river had breached the earthen embankment at Imaliya of Beldandi and gushed into various settlements as Kundam Bandajala, Bhuda, Bhudagaundi, and Sadakghat at the municipality's Ward No 10 and at Kanpur, PCN Tol, Kalkatta, Kalkatta Bazar and the west settlement of Pachuin at Ward No 8. Similarly, 10 houses at Ward No 7 and seven houses at Ward No 2 of the municipality had been inundated.

Similarly, locals at Ward No 5 of Ramnagar were affected by the flood from the local Doda river after the water gushed into the settlement. The flood continues, forcing the majority of the displaced to take refuge at safer locations.

Food crisis looms large ahead The affected people are aware of an increased risk of food crisis ahead, as the flood has already damaged their food stock. Deputy Mayor Chaudhary stated that grains stored inside the Dehari (a traditional clay structure for storing grains) have already cracked due to floodwaters.

Some grains have started sprouting in the storehouses, while others have been swept away by the flooding. The Indigenous Tharu community has been hit hard by this disaster, and hunger is likely to affect even more of them in the future. They had stored rice, wheat, maize, mustard seeds, peas, lentils, black gram and flour for future use.

Furthermore, the local government is concerned about the higher possibility of infections breaking out in the flooded settlements and has requested assistance from donor agencies. A medical team is on standby to respond to emergencies. Households in Beldandi and Dodhara Chandani municipalities have started returning home with improvements in the weather.