The flood-affected families in Tilathi, Saptari, have refused to accept relief materials and instead demanded for an embankment along the Khado river as a permanent solution to the flooding problem they have been facing during rainy season.

They returned the relief materials distributed by Nepal Yuba Sanstha Sanjal on Monday, in a symbolic move to show the government that more than emergency supplies and food they wanted a real solution to their problem.

Dev Narayan Yadav, a local man, said the flood-hit families decided to turn down the aid because they wanted an end to the cycle of getting their homes flooded and the government and social organisations handing them relief almost every monsoon.

“We have made several requests to the local administration to build an embankment to stop the flood waters, but there has been no response so far. We demand a permanent solution to this problem. Instead of doling out emergency relief and cash handouts in a flood’s wake, the government should build that embankment we have been demanding all along,” Yadav said.

Tilathi is no stranger to monsoon floods. The rain-swollen Khado river has breached its banks and inundated the settlement several times in the past.

Sudhir Jha, a local political activist, said the government and its concerned agencies had not heeded to their demand for an embankment construction until now because the people had not been loud and forceful enough.

“It is high time we became organised to press our demand more strongly. The people refused to accept the relief materials, not because they were not in need, but because they wanted to draw government’s attention to the real concern. All that the government has done so far is hand out food and emergency supplies after floods. That is not a solution,” he said.    

The rain-swollen Khado river had spilled its banks and inundated more than 400 houses in Tilathi last week.

32 houses inundated At least 32 houses were inundated at Rampura Malhaniya and Ram Tol of Hanuman Nagar Kankalini Municipality on Monday. Rajesh Kumar Jha, the disaster management programme coordinator of the District Coordination Committee, said that the floodings were caused by the rain-swollen Mahuli, Jita and Triyuga rivers. The District Disaster Management Committee has formed a five-member team to inspect the flood-affected areas in the district. The team has been instructed to come up with its report within 15 days.