With continuous downpour and unremitting erosion by the river, the entire district headquarters is at risk from flooding. Locals had to spend a sleepless night on Sunday after river erosion intensified.
“None of us could go to sleep as the roaring Mahakali started shaking our houses,” said journalist Bhojraj Joshi who lives at Khalanga-4. “All the people spent the whole day moving their belongings to a safer place,” Joshi said over the phone. “There has been no human causality as people had shifted to safer grounds,” he added.
Police informed that Saraswati Raikhola, 31, of Dhap VDC-5, who was said to have gone to the river bank to see the swollen waters, got swept away. Some 30 houses in the dalit settlement at Khalanga-5 were all swept away.
According to Darchula District Police Office, the deluge has also destroyed over two dozen houses including the District Forest Office at Khalanga-2. The flood swept way the district hospital building and the Nepal Electricity Authority office, among other government buildings. All government staff have taken refuge at the district education office, according to Distinct Education Officer Durga Dutta Bista.
“We have been analyzing the flood situation. If it gets worse, we will have to leave for safer locations,” said Bista. The flood also damaged the morgue area of the district hospital, district forest office staff quarters, Api Nampa Conservation Area and the district sports development committee office, among other places.
Similarly, resources centers at ward no. 4 and Kalagad hydropower house at Bramahadev VDC were also ravaged by the swollen river. The incessant rain has also put at risk hundreds of houses at Tinkarkheda, Galfai, Khetyabagad, Namaskar, Dhap, Lali, Dattu and Uku.
The displacement of people at district headquarters has continued as the water level is yet to subside.
District Police and Satru Bhanjan Company of the Nepal Army have been helping evacuate the headquarters since Sunday night. The evacuation is ongoing. The district police office shifted to Darchula Multiple Campus after the flood inundated the police office. “We ourselves remain displaced by the flood,” said DSP Kuber Kadayat.
The locals have accused the Indian side of unilaterally building an embankment in the Mahakali, causing inundation on the Nepal side. Major Bimal Raj Sharma, head of Satru Bhanjan Company, said that NA personnel were taking the displaced people to safer spots. “We have been taking the displaced people to Moiti village near our office,” said Sharma.
----Mahakali sweeps away two, 23 rescued from Tapu.
Meanwhile, two people who had gone to collect firewood were swept away by the river at Dohara VDC. According to police, Nanda Singh Thagunna, 40, of Dohara-6 and Kausila Sunar, 52, have gone missing in the river. Similarly, Police and NA personnel, with the help of tubes, rescued 23 people who had gone to fetch construction material stranded at Mahakali Tapu.
The Mahakli river flow recorded an all time high on Monday. The flow was 440,000 cusecs Monday evening, which, according to police, is the highest recorded for this river.
Meanwhile, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led UCPN (Maoist) and Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist have called on the government to rescue the victims and provide compensation to their families. Issuing separate statements, spokespersons Agni Sapkota of UCPN (Maoist) and Pampha Bhusal of CPN-Maoist also appealed to all party leaders, cadres, the security forces, local people and social workers to help the victims.
The Maoists also demanded that the government take initiatives to transfer the victims to safer areas. They demanded programs to raise the consciousness to the people about natural calamities.
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