Around a dozen families in the village have already shifted to higher ground for safety. [break]
The village has had landslides annually for the last 13 years. “In the year 2000/01, the Gomba river near our village saw a huge landslide which created deep cleaves underground,” said Chiri Sherpa, a local. “
These cleaves soak in rain during the monsoon, thus easily inviting landslides,” Chiri said adding that families displaced the pervious year and a few displaced more recently are sheltering in huts at Alubari, which is located above Tashminam.
Minmanuri Sherpa, Gauri Sankar VDC assistant, informed that villages in the slope areas of the VDC have been affected by landslide every year. “Geographical remoteness along with the presence of white soil, which is soft, invites regular landslides in our village,” said Minmauri. He also pinpointed the slow subsiding of land at Yarsha Jaushar close to their village.
Dolakha Soil Conservation Office (SCO) has designated settlements in wards 5,6,7,8 and 9 of the village as the most landslide-hit areas in previous years. “If we don´t act now, the village will soon see uninvited consequences,” said Sher Bahadur Shrestha, chief of the SCO.
According to Shrestha, three major water outlets located above the village must be brought under control before things start falling apart.
“Such areas with rapidly sinking land must be supported with gabion wire,” he said. He informed that he has already submitted to government offices a total budget demand of Rs 4.4 million required for bringing the situation under control.
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