OKHALDHUNGA, July 31: Ten houses in ward 3, Sisneri, of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality are at the high risk of being swept away by a landslide.
Locals have demanded resettlement for the safety of their families. The haphazard construction of road coupled with three days of heavy rain has increased the risk of landslide.
The newly-constructed road at the edge of the hill of Khanigaun welcomed sliding of the hill above the road and underneath the village of 10 houses. Families living above the road section are living at high risk of another landslide. Poor engineering and negligence in safety management of the recently-constructed road of Khanigaun has increased the risk of landslides in the village.
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Owners of the endangered houses, Jit Bahadur Magar, Hira Bahadur Magar, Yagya Bahadur Magar, Ramkaji Magar, Ram Bahadur Magar, Yam Bahadur Magar, Bhakta Bahadur Magar, Ganesh Bahadur Magar and Ambar Khadka have jointly filed a request at the Office of Rural Municipality and District Disaster Management Committee for compensation and relocation to safer places.
Among the 10, Hari Bahadur and Bhakta Bahadur Magar's houses are only seven meters away from the landslide area. After the hill just above the road section started to cave in, the family members have been compelled to spend sleepless night. Social mobilizer Baikhuntha Luitel said, “Some parts of the land just below the local's houses slid away because of the rainfall. The residents are tense about their homes being swept away if the sliding continues.”
The road underneath was constructed with a budget of Rs 5 million in fiscal year 2018/2019. Larger part of the hill just below the village was over dug for the road turning section. According to Rural Municipality chief Bishnu Bahadur Khadka, some houses of the village are at the risk of a landslide.
“There is no immediate threat of the houses being swept away and an emergency resettlement of the people living in those houses is not necessary. But constructing a wall could support the hill and avoid the risk of landslide.” he added.
Chief District Officer Ganesh Acharya said that the District Disaster Management Committee is already informed about the situation and will decide soon after holding consultation with the stakeholders.
