Badi community in Kailali struggles as floodwaters submerge homes

Kailali: Continuous rainfall has left the Badi community in Balchaur, Lamki Chuha Municipality-3, in distress after floodwaters submerged their homes.

Twelve houses in the settlement have been inundated, forcing affected families to take shelter with relatives and neighbors. Some residents, however, remain in their waterlogged homes. The area is home to 71 Badi families, many of whom report difficulties in cooking and sanitation due to water entering their houses.

Rima Devi, 33, who lives in a small wooden hut, said she has been unable to light a stove for a week because of the flooding. Snakes have been seen moving in the stagnant water surrounding her home. A widow since her husband drowned in the canal of the nearby Ranijamara Kularia Irrigation Project a few months ago, Rima has been raising three children alone by working as a daily wage laborer.

Another resident, Shanta Badi, said her home has been flooded and the roof leaks whenever it rains, leaving the kitchen completely submerged. “There is no place to cook or use the toilet. I am worried my small children could drown,” she said. Similarly, Gajagi Badi, who lives in a government-built mud house, complained that no one has come to address the flooding problem. She noted that while the government did well to construct houses, the lack of proper drainage has caused food and clothes to be ruined.

With the settlement submerged, residents have been unable to go to work as daily wage earners, leaving families struggling to feed their children. “We can’t go to our jobs, and we’re having trouble feeding our children morning and evening,” said local resident Arjun Badi.

Located near the East-West Highway, the settlement faces flooding every monsoon season. Although drainage systems exist, residents say they are ineffective. While the removal of trees this year has reduced the risk from storms, the community continues to appeal to the government for a permanent flood solution.

“This year alone, four people, including two children, from this settlement drowned in the canal. Our homes are submerged, and people are dying in the nearby Ranijamara Kularia Irrigation Project canal. It’s a constant risk,” said Rama Badi.

The 71 Badi families living in the area migrated from various districts of Sudurpaschim, Karnali, and Lumbini provinces since 2064 BS. The government has provided land to landless families here and constructed 143 safe houses, with 33 households still awaiting construction of their homes.