NUWAKOT: The District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) has begun distributing relief materials to survivors of the Bhotekoshi flash floods from holding centres established across the district.
The DDMC has been collecting relief supplies through a centralised system and distributing them to disaster-affected people based on their needs and urgency.
To provide temporary shelter and food to survivors, the district authorities have established 13 holding centres—nine in Bidur Municipality, two in Kispang Rural Municipality, and one each in Suryagadhi Rural Municipality and Belkotgadhi Municipality.
“We are receiving essential items that donors and other well-wishers want to provide to flood survivors. The DDMC has adopted a one-door system for collecting and distributing such assistance,” said Chief District Officer and DDMC Coordinator Shambhu Prasad Regmi. He added that relief supplies are being delivered to the holding centres according to need.
According to Regmi, relief materials collected from different sources are also being transported by helicopter when road access is disrupted or unavailable.
Local governments are also supporting the management of the holding centres by arranging food and shelter for survivors. “We have helped provide health check-ups and facilitate family reunions at the shelters,” said Bidur Municipality Mayor Rajan Shrestha. He told RSS that the municipality was coordinating closely with the provincial and federal governments to collect details of the loss of lives and property caused by the devastating Bhotekoshi flash floods.
Although authorities had initially planned to manage relief collection and distribution through a one-door system, some donors and individuals have delivered supplies directly to accessible holding and rescue centres. As a result, relief materials have not been distributed proportionately among all holding centres.
Lilanath Neupane, chairperson of Ward No. 5 of Bidur Municipality, said some donors had approached holding centres directly to hand over relief materials. “There is sufficient assistance here for survivors at present, so we have asked them to take the relief items to other areas where they are more urgently needed,” he said.
According to the DDMC, most of the relief supplies received so far consist of food items such as rice, lentils, noodles and biscuits, while only a limited amount of clothing has been received.
Betrawati, Trishuli, Dhunge, Simchaur and Devighat in Bidur Municipality are among the settlements worst affected by the floods. In Kispang Rural Municipality, Shantibazar, Naya Pul and Mailung have also suffered significant damage. Thulo Khola, Budhasihghat, Ratmate, Kolchaur, Keureni and Kolputar are among the worst-hit settlements in Belkotgadhi Municipality.
A holding centre established at the Suryagadhi Rural Municipality office has provided shelter to people displaced from various parts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Authorities said many of those taking shelter there are in urgent need of a safe environment and basic necessities.
However, distributing relief materials to areas outside the district headquarters, Bidur, remains difficult because of damaged roads and infrastructure. Some organisations have opted to use drones to transport supplies to remote holding centres.
Several settlements along the Trishuli River have also been severely affected, particularly Wards 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 and 12 of Bidur Municipality. Trishuli Bazaar is located in Ward No. 1, while Khadgabhanjyang and other settlements are in Ward No. 3. Chainpur is near Ward No. 6, Tupche is in Ward No. 7, and Siltanki is in Ward No. 9.
Seven holding centres have been established along the Trishuli River. However, the collapse of bridges over the Tadi and Kolpukhola rivers during the flash floods has made it difficult to transport relief supplies. As a result, helicopters are being used to deliver assistance to the holding centre operated at Mahadev Secondary School in Belkotgadhi Municipality-7.
Locals have urged the federal government to prioritise the distribution of relief materials to settlements along the riverbanks. They have also called for the immediate reunification of schoolchildren separated from their families by the disaster.
The demands were raised during an all-party and stakeholder discussion organised by the District Coordination Committee on Saturday. Several students affected by the floods have been unable to contact their families after bridges over the Trishuli River were destroyed.
Given the physical and psychological distress suffered by survivors, health check-ups and counselling services are being provided at temporary facilities.
The district administration is also collecting details to assess the extent of loss of life and property. A meeting with stakeholders was held on Saturday to discuss the management of unidentified bodies. During the meeting, CDO Regmi said the district might have to manage up to 300 bodies.
According to District Police Office Chief Bipin Regmi, 821 applications had been filed in the district as of Saturday concerning people who remain out of contact following the floods.
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