Bajura’s Olena settlement facing desertion after 2076 Budhiganga flood

Bajura: Olena settlement in Badimalika Municipality-4 of Bajura is gradually becoming desolate following the Budhiganga River flood of 2076 BS. Once regarded as the district’s center for vegetable production, the cultivable land in Olena has now been destroyed, placing the settlement at risk of displacement.

The flood in the Budhiganga River in 2076 BS turned all the cultivable land of Olena residents into a bog. Due to well-managed irrigation canals and flat land in the past, vegetables produced in the area were sold as far as the Martadi market in Bajura. However, after the flood, the main source of income for the locals has completely stopped.

Local farmer Dev Bahadur Nath said that earlier his family used to grow more vegetables and fruits than rice and wheat. “Now that all the land has become a bog, I am worried about how to raise my children,” he said.

The houses of the Olena settlement, located below the Sanfe–Martadi highway, are also at high risk of river erosion. Due not only to the loss of cultivable land but also to the threat to their homes, some families have started leaving the settlement and relocating elsewhere. Olena, which was once home to more than 16 Nath families, now has only about 13 families remaining.

Local resident and teacher Kamal Nath recalled that vegetables produced in Olena once reached most shops in the Martadi market. “The main occupation of Olena residents was vegetable farming. Now, not only has the land for cultivation been lost, but the settlement itself is facing a housing crisis,” he said.

Dorendra Niraula, Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office, Bajura, and Coordinator of the Disaster Management Committee, said that coordination is being carried out with concerned agencies for relocation as the entire Olena settlement is at risk from the river. However, according to local residents, no concrete arrangements for safe settlement have been made so far.

Olena, once known for its vegetable production, is now gradually turning into a deserted area. In the absence of long-term management and rehabilitation initiatives, the remaining families face an increasing risk of displacement.