IRIN
NEPAL: Heavy floods hit hundreds of families in east
31 July 2008


SAPTARI, 31 July 2008 (IRIN) - Heavy flooding in eastern Nepal is 
affecting hundreds of families, according to local NGOs.

"We haven't experienced such heavy rainfall for 20 years," Begraj Dugar, 
68, from the Gobargada Village Development Committee (VDC) of Saptari 
District, nearly 350km south of the capital Kathmandu, told IRIN.

Each VDC, the lowest level of local administration in Nepal, is 
comprised of nine wards and every ward has four to seven villages.

In Saptari District alone, more than 200 villagers in 10-15 VDCs have 
been affected by flash floods after nearby rivers burst their banks 
following heavy rainfall over the past week, according to the Kosi 
Victims Society (KVS), a local NGO.

Saptari is considered one of most flood-prone districts of the eastern 
Terai (fertile flatlands in south Nepal) where torrential rainfall in 
2007 affected over 50,000 households, displaced nearly 8,300 people and 
destroyed over 3,500 houses, according to KVS.

Local NGOs said about 45 people died due to disease because of the 
flooding.

Dangers growing

However, this year locals warn the situation could be much worse.

Already the embankments of more than 10 rivers have collapsed, flooding 
nearby communities.

Among the most dangerous rivers are the Khado, Mahuli, Jita, Mutani, 
Khadag, Baan, Pauda and Triyuga where flooding over the past two years 
resulted in huge financial losses.

"We never know when to expect the flood. We have no choice but to leave 
our homes," said local resident Drubha Narayan Yadav of the Gobargada 
VDC.

"More than 50 families have already been displaced from five wards of 
Gobargada VDC," said local resident Ugrakant Jha, adding that as most of 
the roads in the area were already destroyed or badly damaged, their 
only means of transport was a wooden boat across the village. Most of 
the 100 residents had been displaced.

In nearby Mahottari District, about 44 families were affected in the 
village of Paya Tole of Jaleshwor Municipality due to surging water 
levels, with many of the children falling ill because of the cold.

According to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) [http://www.nrcs.org/] , 
more than 12 government offices were flooded, as were shops, businesses 
and households in the town centre of Rajbiraj.

Key offices such as the Sagarmatha Regional Hospital, district police 
station, district court, as well as a government shelter for orphans, 
were reportedly inundated.

Even NRCS's office was damaged by the flooding. "Our relief materials, 
clothes and carpets are in a very bad state," said Brahmadev Yadav, a 
senior officer, adding that many of their records could be lost.

Relief needed

With further flooding expected in the coming weeks, many families 
complain that agencies have not responded to their plight.

"It is difficult to estimate how many families were affected, but quite 
a large number of them from Saptari District have already moved to a 
safer place before more floods hit them. Most of them are now living 
with their relatives in India and nearby Sunsari District," said 
government official Tahir Husain, VDC secretary of Gobargara.

Relief efforts are provided by international aid agencies through the 
government-led District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC).

But according to local residents, all senior government officials, such 
as the chief district officer and local development officer, have been 
out of the district over the past 10 days.

"The relief has not been distributed due to a lack of key government 
officials," Jogendra Bhagat, NRCS's district chairman, said.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government had dispatched 
nearly 20,000 sandbags to protect the river embankments but they were 
hardly enough to even defend one small village, complained local 
disaster-relief workers.

"There is a need for more preparedness plans to reduce the financial 
loss and hardship of the displaced due to the floods," added KVS's 
president Dev Narayan Yadav.

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