Flood Victims in Sunsari - Nepal DONATE TO FLOOD VICTIMS

35000 people fully displaced :

Around 35,000 people of 1,000 households were fully displaced, a thousand houses were washed away and three thousand houses damaged after the Saptakoshi river changed its course, due to the breaking off of the embankment on the eastern side on August 18. Incessant rainfall had led to the breaking off of the Spur nos 12.10 and 12.90 of the Saptakoshi river, the Home Ministry has said on 20th August.

As a result, four VDCs Haripur, Sripur, Jagdi and Kushaha of Sunsari district were completed waterlogged while another four VDCs-Laukahi, Narsingh, Basantapur and Dhuski were badly affected by the over flooded Saptakoshi river.

Temporary shelter camps have been set up in 14 locations for the displaced families including in different organizations, religious institutions and educational institutions.

Under the convenorship of the District Natural Calamity Rescue Committee, Sunsari, the Red Cross Society, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NGOs and INGOs, UN agencies are involved in provide food and other materials to the flood victims. However, considering the situation of the displaced, the rescue and relief work will have to continue for a long time. 

The Home Ministry has also directed the local administrations in the bordering Morang, Saptari and Siraha districts to help with the rescue and relief work. The Ministry has also expected cooperation from all sides, while expressing gratitude to those who have contributed so far.

Sunsari locals agitate for relief :

Locals of Sunsari district have become agitated blaming people's representatives indifference towards the pains and problems of flood victims. The recent flood has rendered more than 50, 000 people of 4 VDCs of Sunsari constituency-5 displaced. 

Local people have vented their ire on the Constituent Assembly (CA) Members including Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) Coordinator Upendra Yadav, who have won election from the constituency. Due to flood-triggered inundation and dismantle of dam, residents of western VDCs of the constituency-Kusaha, Sripur, Haripur, Laukahi and Prakashpur have displaced from their homes and lost properties and valuables worth tens of millions. 

The flood victims are taking shelters in local dam, school, road and government offices nearby highway. There have been no sufficient relief package-mainly clothes, food and water in the flood-torn area.

"We are deeply saddened when we do not find our representatives to share our grievances at this moment", said Asarfi Sah, a local, adding, administrative officials came and consoled us but have not provided any effective relief package yet.

Snake menace to flood victims:

The poisonous snakes have made rife movement in the flood affected areas of Sunsari district. The locals of west Kusaha, Haripur, and Sripur among others suffering from the floods triggered by the breach of Saptakoshi embankment have felt unsafe due to snakes rampant around their shelters.

They said the snakes of the dam have been moving here and there to protect themselves from the flood.

Citing the reason, District Public Health Office, Saptari, has mobilized various teams of health workers with medicine to the flooding in Sripur, Haripur, Kushaha VDCs of Sunsari district since August 18.

Calamity victims share pathetic woes :

No sooner an all-party team led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal reached the flood affected areas in eastern Nepal on 20th August to take stock of the post-calamity situation, majority of the displaced complained that they were hungry, did not have any clothes to cover their bodies and their relatives had gone missing.

The locals put up their grievances to PM Dahal who took a round of half-a-dozen VDCs submerged after the Saptakoshi dam break Monday. The sudden collapse of the dam has displaced around 35,000 people and incurred a huge damage of farmland, physical amenities and public property worth billions.

PM Dahal’s team having the representation of different political leaders conducted onsite visits on the ground after conducting an aerial inspection of the flood affected areas.

Among those included in the team were coordinator of the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Yadav, general secretary of the Nepal Unity Centre (Masal) Narayan Kaji Shrestha ‘Prakash’, CPN (UML) central leader Bhim Acharya, among others.

The PM along with his team members acquired information about the extent of damage caused by Monday’s dam break and the condition of those who were affected by the calamity, one of the biggest ever to have occurred in the area.

PM Dahal visited the Inaruwa based Sunsari campus and Bhagwati Madhyamik Vidyalaya where the flood victims are residing temporarily and acquired information from them.

The team led by the PM had flown to the premises of the Armed Police base at Pakali, Sunsari in a Nepali Army chopper Wednesday morning. The team had taken the complaints from the flood victims in different parts of Inaruwa.

The team had inquired extensively regarding the existing situation after the collapse of the Saptakoshi dam and the veering of the river into the human settlements, the crisis the flood victims have been facing at the moment, the management made for the food, shelter, clothing and medical treatment for them.

In the course of direct conversation with the PM, the locals had shared with him the problems and pangs they were facing after the bursting of the Saptakoshi dam. Those displaced had pleaded to the PM for relief packages with tears trickling from their faces.

Responding to the complaints of the flood victims PM Prachanda along with MJF coordinator Yadav had told the press that arrangements had already been made to give instant relief to the victims and the government’s machinery had been strengthened to make the relief works more effective. Most of the victims were seen sharing their pangs with Yadav whom they voted to the Constituent Assembly in the May elections.

PM Dahal had reached out to the old, young and children and asked them whether they had enough to eat or not. He had keenly inquired into their problems.

Dahal had consoled the villagers that the government would do its utmost to rescue those who had been trapped in the floods. He informed that he had released Rs 20 million to carry out preliminary relief works in the flooded areas.

According to high level sources in the eastern region, hundreds of people who are trapped in the floods have not yet been rescued because of the snail paced relief works being carried out.

According to Narendra Dahal, regional administrator of the eastern region, a total of 35,000 people have been displaced after the Koshi waters entered human settlements following the bursting of the Saptakoshi dam.

Out of them, food and shelter have been arranged for nearly 20,000 people and work was underway to provide relief to the remaining victims. Thousands have been rendered homeless following the dam break while property and farmland worth billons have been destroyed.

Farmlands have been covered with sand and people are fleeing their homes leaving behind all their belongings. Hundreds of livestock have been swept away by the floods. Inhabitants of four VDCs where the Koshi waters got diverted after the breaking of two spurs of the Saptakoshi dam are now facing starvation.

Although the displaced were consoled that they would be given adequate food to eat at the earliest possible, the victims have been complaining that they have not got to eat a full meal for the last three days.

The district based NGOs and the Natural Calamities Relief Committee have been promising to expedite the relief operations, but the victims have been claiming that they are not being well looked after.

The victims who fled their homes holding their babies in their arms are living in different shelters in schools, colleges and temples. Most of them are forced to sleep on bare floors and have begun catching cold.

The diversion of nearly 168 thousand cusec of water into the six VDCs of Sunsari — Shreepur, Haripur, west Kushaha, Laukahi, Ghuski and Basantapur following the breaking of the two spurs of the Saptakoshi dam has submerged the entire area.

According to an agreement signed between Nepal and India on the 12th of Baishak 2011 B.S. the Indian government is responsible for the maintenance and monitoring of the entire amenities in the dam. The agreement clearly shows that the Indian government will have to bear all the expenses for the damages incurred due to the dam break.

5500 rescued in three days:

Nepal Army's choppers had rescued 479 flood victims by the evening of 20th August, while five rubber boats rescued at least 100 persons. In course of three days, Nepali Army, Civil Police and Armed Police Force personnel have rescued 5,500 flood victims.The flooded river has inundated six VDCs of Sunsari district.

Though locals said the river swept away 25 people in Haripur and Sripur VDCs on Wednesday (20th Aug), Sunsari CDO Durga Bhandari said this was yet to be verified. According to a high-level security source, hundreds of marooned persons could not be rescued in the absence of a fool-proof rescue operation.

United States to provide $50,000 for flood victims:

In response to a request from US Ambassador Nancy J Powell, USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has authorised immediate release of $50,000 for providing emergency relief supplies to flood victims of eastern Nepal.

According to a press release issued by US embassy, Save the Children, in partnership with the Nepal Red Cross Society, will use the US disaster assistance fund for purchase and transport of relief supplies, including blankets and shelter for displaced Nepalis in the floods.

The Nepal Red Cross Society and Save the Children have started distributing emergency relief supplies pre-positioned for disaster relief by Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. By using the United States disaster assistance funds for local procurement, relief officials can quickly get the most urgently needed supplies to the needy people, the release said.

The United States is prepared to provide additional assistance, according to the USAID official.

Govt staffs provide relief for flood victims:

The CDO Society of Nepal has provided Rs 101,111 to the flood victims through the PM’s Relief Fund. In Udaypur, employees under the District Development Committee have decided to provide one day’s salary to the flood victims in Sunsari. The Udaypur district natural disaster relied committee provided Rs 10,000, Udatypur branch of Nepal Red Cross Rs 10,000, Triyuga Municipality Rs 10,000, Triyuga Chamber of Commerce and Industry provided Rs 10,000 to the Koshi flood victims, CDO Dulluraj Basnet said.

Nepal Civil Servants’ Association and Nepal Civil Servants’ Union at Police Kitab Khana in Singha Durbar have provided Rs 3,000 to the government’s relief fund for relief to flood victims in Sunsari.

Likewise, Nepal Civil Servants’ Association, Nepal Civil Servants’ Union and Nepal National Civil Servants’ Association at Land Reform and Management Department have decided to provide one day’s salary of all the staff of the department for relief to the flood affected people.

Meanwhile, the UML-affiliated Youth Force (YF) Dhankuta has started collecting relief for Saptakoshi river flood victims. YF said it began collecting relief in Dhankuta and Hilebazaar since 19th August. President of the YF Dhankuta Sujan Bhai Joshi said that collection of relief would continue for a few days and relief would be delivered to the flood victims soon.

Narayani river washed away 15 bigaha land:

The flooded Narayani river has reportedly washed away 15 bigaha of land in Kolhuwa VDC of Nawalparasi district. Inundation has been increasing day by day due to lack of embankment along the river and this had posed danger to other Wards of the VDC, it is reported.

The locals have also complained of the ignorance on part of the Chitwan National Park, the District Development Committee, Natural Calamity Department's office, Bhairahawa and other offices concerned, despite repeated request for them to construct the embankment. The affected VDCs fall under the buffer zone of the Chitwan National Park.

'Locals didnot heed warning':

The Department of Water Induced Disaster (DWID) said that havoc caused by the Tinau river could have been minimised had local people paid heed to government warnings.

A swollen Tinau had swept away two persons and damaged around 60 houses along the river. The flooding has caused damage to an island formed in the middle of the river due to sedimentation. Over 250 households in the island have been affected. “The people knew living in that area was risky. Despite our request, more and more people moved into that area,” said Shyam Rajbhandari, deputy director-general at the DWID.

Rajbhandari said the DWID had decided to launch projects in areas that were prone to water-induced disasters. “We have decided to launch at least two major projects this year in Mugling-Narayanghat area and Sindhuli-Bardibas area,” he said.

The Mugling-Narayanghat Water-Induced Disaster Prevention Project (worth Rs 10 million) and Sindhuli-Bardibas Water-Induced Disaster Prevention Project (worth Rs 5 million) are part of a Japanese project.

Student missing in boat capsize:

A student went missing when a boat capsized in the Kandra river in Aambari of Khailad VDC-8 of Kailali on 20th August. Police identified the missing as Kirti Kumari Chaudhary (16), an eighth grader at a local school. Twelve students were on board and 11 students had been rescued.

Relief to be doled out in two phases : PM:

More than 1000 still remain stranded

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal along with a team of various political party leaders including Bharat Mohan Adhikari of CPN (UML), Upendra Yadav of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), CA delegates Narayan Kaji Shrestha 'Prakash', Kiran Rai, Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Pratap Kumar Pathak reached Sunsari this morning to take account of Koshi flood affected people. The team has undertaken aerial and on-spot observation.

Prime Minister and his team visited several makeshift shelters at Inuruwa. Displaced people have vehemently bemoaned on dearth of food supplies and emergency treatment. Prime Minister Dahal has assured victims that government will leave no stones unturned to support the victims. "Relief will be provided in two phases in terms of immediate and long-term basis", Prime Minister Dahal asserted. Two crores has already been allocated from the Prime Minister Fund for the urgent support of the victims.

More than 50,000 people have been rendered homeless, around 1,00,000 people are affected and dozens have gone missing since the Saptakoshi River damaged two dam spurs on 19th August and flooded human settlements in Sunsari. Due to the downpour, the rescue operation has not been effective. Nepal Army has sent 6 helicopters for the rescue. Likewise, boats and elephants are also used for the purpose.

According to the latest report, some 10,000 are still awaiting rescue in Shripur, Haripur and Western Kushwaha VDCs. Over 100 people are out of touch after the four VDCs are completely filled with water. Most of them have no option but to wait the rescue team at the roof of their houses while some of them are compelled to stay at the tree. Water level has not receded.

Earlier on Monday, the meeting of Central Natural Disaster Rescue and Relief Committee decided to provide humanitarian assistance and relief by promptly carrying out rescue and relief works at the local level in a coordinated manner to the people of Haripur, Sripurjabdi, Paschim Kusaha and Laukahi VDCs. It also decided to provide all types of help for this purpose from the central level.

Likewise, the meeting decided to give necessary relief materials and instructions to the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee, Sunsari, to make arrangements in a coordinated manner for providing temporary shelter and foodstuff to the displaced and affected people at the local level. It decided to issue directives to the Chief District Officers of the Morang, Siraha and Saptari districts give all kind of necessary assistance to provide relief to the affected families.

The Committee also decided that the Ministry of Health and Population would immediately depute a team of health workers to the affected areas for protecting the displaced families from epidemics and an amount of Rs. 2 million would be provided to that Ministry from the Central Natural Disaster Relief Fund for buying medicine for that purpose.

The meeting also decided that the Ministries of Water Resources and the Foreign Affairs will, in coordination with the concerned department of the Government of India, immediately make efforts towards carrying out repair works on the Saptakosi barrage keeping in mind the possible large scale damage that might be caused if the embankments on the Saptakosi River were not repaired in time.

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