Safe concrete housing brings hope to Muktakamai families in Shuklaphanta

Kanchanpur: The difficult living conditions of Muktakamai families in Mukti Tole of Shuklaphanta Municipality-10, who have long endured sleepless nights in dilapidated mud houses during the rainy season due to fear of wind and poisonous insects, are now set to improve.

With the rapid construction of safe concrete houses in this impoverished settlement through the joint investment of the Ward Office, the Sudurpaschim Province Government, and the Connect Project, the long-held dream of secure housing for these families is gradually becoming a reality.

“We lived in mud houses for years. During the rainy season, the roof leaked, and we had to stay awake all night fearing water,” said Gujeshwari Vadayak of Mukti Tole, recalling past hardships. “There was always fear of snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous insects.” She added, “There was also the risk of fire. Most villagers had concrete houses, but due to poverty, we could not build one. For us, who relied on daily labor to support our families, a safe house seemed like a distant dream. Now, that dream is slowly coming true.”

Local resident Kalpana Chaudhary also shared her experience. “It was very difficult to live with my family in a small and dilapidated house. When it rained, water would enter the house, and when strong winds blew, we had to spend the night in fear. Now that safe concrete houses are being built, there is hope that we can live peacefully,” she said.

Mukti Tole, largely inhabited by the Muktakamai community, is home to around 300 families. Fifteen concrete houses are currently being constructed for families who have faced poverty and unsafe housing for years. Each house, built in a uniform design, includes two rooms, a kitchen, and a toilet. The construction work has reached around 80 percent completion.

Engineer Lokendra Bhatta of Shuklaphanta Municipality stated that the houses are being built through a joint investment of the ward office, the Sudurpaschim provincial government, the Connect Project, and the beneficiaries themselves. According to him, each house costs Rs 732,000, with contributions of Rs 145,000 from the ward office, Rs 305,000 from the provincial government, Rs 120,000 from the Connect Project, and Rs 162,000 from the beneficiaries.

Engineer Bhatta added that approximately 75 percent of the construction work has been completed so far. Ward Chairman Lal Bahadur Air said that a long-term plan is being implemented to develop Mukti Tole into a systematic and model settlement. “We are working with the goal of providing safe housing to families who have been living in risky kutcha houses for years,” he said. “We have adopted a policy to gradually build permanent houses for all remaining families by managing the budget each year.”