Authorities don't have details of damage<br/>Initiation of Nagarik Relief Fund

MAHENDRANAGAR, Oct 11: More than five days after floods and landslides wreaked havoc in western Nepal, the authorities here don´t have details of the damages and have been calling meetings daily to ascertain the extent of damage. [break]

A meeting held at the Kanchanpur District Administration Office on Sunday formed a 25-member committee under the cheif district officer to collect data. The administration had previously formed a 13-member committee for the purpose.

“We have not received any help whatsoever from the center. We will need some more days to collect data,” conceded CDO Kushmakar Dhakal adding that distribution of relief materials will start only after collecting details of the losses.

Dhakal said that the district has received just Rs one million for construction of dam in Mahakali river.

The administration had previously said that 96 families were displaced in the district. Kanchanpur Red Cross said it has records of sweeping away of three houses in the district and is also waiting local reports from its branches in villages.

“The branches have been distributing some materials locally and we are not in a position to distribute more as the administration has yet to provide actual loss details,” said district president of Red Cross Keshav Panta.

Flood victims without food for 5 days

Meanwhile, our correspondent Dil Bahadur Chhatyal reports from Dhangadhi that over 1,000 families displaced by floods in several VDCs of Kailali have been without food for the past five days for the lack of any relief package.

The only relief they have received so far is noodles and beaten rice distributed by Nepal Red Cross Society.

According to Tejshankar Bhatta, president of Nepal Red Cross Society´s Narayanpur sub-branch, floods have swept away 125 houses in Dhansighpur, 55 in Narayanpur and 60 in Tikapur Municipality-2.

Paddy crop in Narayanpur, Dhansinghpur and Thapapur VDCs has also been destroyed. Locals of these three VDCs were hit hard by the floods in July also.

Chief District Officer Hari Krishna Poudel said relief would be provided to 810 most-affected families in 10 VDCs from Monday.

Basanta Kumar Kanaujiya, administrative officer at Kailali District Administration Office, said 1,266 families have been displaced by floods in Kailali.

Initiation of Nagarik Relief Fund

KATHMANDU, Oct 11: The Nepal Republic Media has formed Nagarik Relief Fund in collaboration with Citizen´s Bank and Bank of Asia Sunday to collect funds for the flooding and landslide victims. Nepal Republic Media and Citizen´s Bank have contributed Rs 100,000 each while Bank of Asia has contributed Rs 111,111 for the fund.

The three say they have initiated the fund feeling social responsibility toward the victims at this hour of difficulty and appealed to all to extend helping hands.

“We have initiated this campaign feeling the sufferings of the people of mid and far west from our heart,” said Managing Director of Nepal Republic Media Binod Raj Gyawali. “We want to extend our helping hands at this hour of agony," Gyawali added.

The chief executive officer of Citizen´s Bank, Rajan Singh Bhandari said the fund was set up for providing relief for the victims.

Parashuram Kunwar, the chief executive officer Bank of Asia, another partner in the endeavor, said the bank feels it should do something to help the peoples of mid and farwestern regions during this hour of tragedy.

The organization trio has expressed commitment to deposit the collected amount to the Prime Minister´s Relief Fund. The amounts can be deposited in account numbers 0010004190 ZB at Citizen´s Bank or 01 CA 032198 NPR 001 at the the Bank of Asia.

(Photos by Dil Bahadur Chhatyal.)