National
Govt fails to deliver relief to flood-affected Gobargadha
Relief workers have still not reached Gobargadha settlement in Saptari where the floodwaters from the Saptakoshi river inundated several homes on Saturday.Abdhesh Kumar Jha
Relief workers have still not reached Gobargadha settlement in Saptari where the floodwaters from the Saptakoshi river inundated several homes on Saturday.
Locals are angery with the local administration and the government for ignoring their plight.
The flood-affected families have been taking shelter at local school and office buildings. They said the floodwaters have still not receded from the settlement.
There is a shortage of clean drinking water and food in the settlement. Water contamination has caused illness among more than 20 children, according to Sushiladevi Rajak, a local health volunteer.
The rain-swollen Saptakoshi river had breached its banks and inundated Gobargadha on Saturday night.
The flood had destroyed at least 10 houses, while 20 others houses are on the verge of collapsing.
Bindeshori Yadav, the ward chairman of Hanuman Nagar Kankalini Municipality-13, said Gobargadha was submerged in up to three-feet of floodwaters.
Sugandevi Sada, a local woman, said the government had not sent any help, even though their homes had been caught under knee-deep water for days now.
The settlement is inhabited by 40 families. Some of these families moved to higher grounds with their belongings on Sunday, but most families are still living in the settlement, guarding their flooded homes and their belongings by the day and spending the nights at local school and office buildings.
Phuliya Devi Sada said they did not have enough food or clean drinking water.
The only dirt road that links the settlement with the nearest marketplace of Hanumannagar has been rendered impassable by the flood.
It takes about four hours to reach Hanumannagar from Gobargadha on boats
these days.