PANCHTHAR: Local people of Miklajung rural municipality-7 in Panchthar district have been affected as local facilities damaged in landslides and floods have not been restored yet.
Facilities including roads, electricity, and drinking water projects have been damaged in the disasters that occurred on October 1 and 3. Still, the local damaged Kanyatar-Comyutar track under the Ranke-Rabi-Bhedetar road has yet to be repaired.
Resultantly, 126 families of Lekgaun, Kholakharka, and Bhangtar have been confined out of the road network.
The villagers are forced to live in the dark, including during Tihar, a festival of lights, without repair of the damaged transmission line.
“We have been hit hard without repair of destroyed water projects and transmission lines,” said a landslide victim, Rajan Banu Rai of Miklajung-7. Efforts are underway to clear debris at the road section, he said. “Big landslides at the road continue. So repair of the damaged road has been affected.”
Two persons were killed and over a dozen families were affected due to a landslide. Of them, three families have been taking shelter at their villagers’ houses without rehabilitation insight. “We are still waiting for relief. This time, festivals did not reach us as a result,” Rai said.
The villages lack even a basic health facility. “We find it hard to transport patients to hospital as a result of the damaged road. We are confined,” said another landslide victim, Madhuprem Rai.
Locals are worried that it would be challenging for them to seek timely treatment in need and to manage food if the road obstruction continues to go long. A local teacher Sanjay Rai of Lekgaun said the shortage of daily essentials is highly likely due to the continued obstruction of roadways.
The local government is trying to restore the road in coordination with the Ranke-Rabi-Bhedetar road project without effective results. It is said there was no progress in the restoration work due to off-season floods and landslides.
There are numerous incidences of landslides taking place at Baluwani of Miklajung-7 and Kamphyutaar of Miklajung-7 sweeping away roads at some locations.
Miklajung rural municipality chair Amar Raj Makhim said the landslides had badly hit the locality.
“Though the locals are facing harsh consequences of the disasters, it is yet to grab the proper attention of the authorities concerned.”
Miklajung area was largely damaged by the floods from October 1 to 3 with the losses of 22 lives and property. Three are still missing in the disasters.
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