Most of the flood displaced families from Tikaulipur settlement of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality in Banke have been left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They have been living in temporary shelters for the last three days with little or nothing to eat.

Aid had not arrived as of Monday while the government in the centre was planning how the emergency relief must be disbursed. Relief programme launched by the local administration, meanwhile, had yet to reach many parts of the flood-affected areas.

The family of Dhani Khatri of Tikulipur has been living under a makeshift shelter in a forest after their home got destroyed in a flood. Without food for the last three days, the Khatris are on the brink of starvation.

“There is not a single grain of food. We have slept on empty stomachs for the last three days,” Dhani said.

The situation is no different for other flood-displaced families. They feel neglected by the government, left in a lurch. Without food and warm clothes, some flood victims have started to fall sick.

“There are children and elderlies among us. If help is not forthcoming any time soon, they might die,” said Saraswoti Khatri, another flood displaced from Tikulipur. “The government officials have not arrived so far. We are on our own.”

Floods have also ravaged Daduwa, Narainapur, Khajura and Baijanath rural municipalities in Banke.

Thousands of people in the district have been driven from their homes. They need relief and proper shelter soon.  

Chief District Officer Ramesh KC said they have started relief and rescue works in the flood-affected areas.

“We sent some relief materials to the places that have been hit hard by floods,” he said, assuring to distribute food and emergency supplies in other areas soon.  

Besides food and shelter, the flood displaced people are also facing problem of drinking water and sanitation.

Health experts have already warned of water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera in the flood-hit areas if immediate steps are not taken to prevent their outbreaks.

Drinking water shortage in Gulariya

The flood affected families in Gulariya, Bardiya, are reeling under drinking water scarcity for the last two days. Jagatram Tharu, a local man, told the Post over phone on Monday that nearly 500 families from Taduwa, Sauryagaudi, Tepari and Masjadiya settlements were facing difficulty as floods have polluted all drinking water sources. There are also shortages of food, medicines and other essentials in the flood affected areas, but the absence of clean drinking water is our major concern at the moment, Tharu added. Dilliram Acharya, an administrative officer at the District Administration Office, said they were preparing to supply dry foods, water and other emergency supplies to the flood-hit areas.

Deluge hampers relief supply

Supply of relief materials in Kailali has been hit as most of the flood-hit areas remain submerged in floodwaters. A Red Cross official on Monday said that they were having difficulty reaching the communities affected by floods because of the deluge. Thousands of families have been displaced by floods in the district and many of them had not eaten anything for the last two days. Dozens of settlements in Tikapur and Bhajani municipalities are covered in floodwaters.