CHITWAN, July 24: Fate of 175 quake-hit families in Chitwan remains uncertain as they wait to be relocated from their present landslide-prone settlements. The District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC), Chitwan had decided to relocate these families from 15 villages a month earlier.
Related story
Govt neglects relocation of risky settlements
The decision was taken after the settlements were found to be at high-risk of being hit by landslides during monsoon. With the monsoon rainfall around, these families remain under serious threats from landslides from the quake-cracked hills.
Of the total 15 villages, the resettlement process for two villages has been initiated. Construction of temporary houses for them is underway. This includes 24 households of Guchiwang village of Kaule VDC and 12 households of Yashikhai village, Lothar VDC, the DDRC informed.Binod Prakash Singh, chief district officer (CDO) of the district and coordinator of DDRC claimed that the relocation of the 13 settlements has been delayed due to the unwillingness of the locals themselves. "All the preparations have been made, the relocation works will be completed earliest as possible," he further said.
Meanwhile, Hemraj Bimali, field officer at Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), informed that the relocation of quake affected households from Guchiwang settlement will be completed in the next 15 days. Temporary houses are being constructed at Jutpani Chaur for these families.
The construction of houses for relocating 175 displaced households from the remaining 13 villages should have started on war footing level, but it is yet to begin. This has raised worries for the victims.
DDRC informed that the relocation of the displaced locals is expected to begin within third week of July and the construction of the required 175 houses is expected to take at least one and a half month.
