TIKAPUR, August 27: More than 30 people from Tikapur, Kailali, are still out of contact following the flood in Rasuwa.
Most of them had gone to Rasuwa to work as laborers at a hydropower project. Tula Ram Chaudhary, a contractor who had hired local workers, said 30 of his workers were trapped inside a tunnel. He said he had been unable to contact them since the flood.
The Area Administration Office, Tikapur, has started collecting details of people who had gone to Rasuwa for work, according to office chief Taranath Paneru. He said the details were being collected through ward chairpersons.
Three students out of contact since two days
According to the Area Administration Office, those out of contact include Bir Bahadur Chaudhary, Satish Ram Chaudhary, Mani Ram Chaudhary, Badal Chaudhary, Rajesh Chaudhary, Shiva Narayan Chaudhary (known as Jugram) and Dorje Chaudhary from Ward No. 1, Samitipur.
Similarly, Badal Chaudhary, Bifu Chaudhary, Man Bahadur Chaudhary and Jugram Chaudhary of the Mukta Kamaiya camp in Ward No. 1 are also out of contact. Sadhuram Chaudhary of Bipatpur is also out of contact, according to the Area Administration Office.
Mohan B.K., ward chairperson of Tikapur Municipality Ward No. 1, said some relatives who had gone to Rasuwa for employment have started making contact. He said more people from Ward No. 1 may have gone to Rasuwa for work.
According to local resident Anant Khadka, eight people from Manikapur in Tikapur Municipality Ward No. 5 are out of contact. It is unclear whether they had gone to Rasuwa through contractor Tula Ram Chaudhary or someone else.
Thagram Chaudhary, Dhanuwa Chaudhary, Kamal Bahadur Chaudhary, Chunki Chaudhary, Chandra Bahadur Tharu, Samjhana Chaudhary, Bishnu Chaudhary and Pardeshi Chaudhary are among those out of contact. Khadka said it was also unclear where they had been working in Rasuwa.
There has been a growing trend of people from the Tharu community travelling to Rasuwa for employment. Hundreds of Tharus have reportedly gone there recently to work as laborers. As a result, there are concerns that many people from Kailali who had gone to Rasuwa for work may have been caught in the flood.
Subhash Rawal of Tikapur Municipality Ward No. 1, who works at the Timure branch of NMB Bank, is also out of contact. The bank building where he worked was swept away by the flood. Rawal and other bank employees are also out of contact.
