News

Koshi Victims Back Home to Rebuild Lives
Somnath Bastola Itahari, September 28

The swollen Saptakoshi has usurped everything they had. They have returned to their place, only to find land filled with sand and houses that have collapsed or seem to be waiting for a blow of wind to cave in.
"Sir, here was my sugarcane plantation. I had dreamt of buying many things by selling sugarcane, but the swollen Koshi has shattered my dreams," a tearful Mahfauz Miyan told this daily in Paschimkusaha.
"How can I console myself when sand has covered all my land?"
Leaving their women, children and parents in state-run relief camps, Miyan and other men have been guarding their deserted homes and land for a week.
Sand mounds dot Paschim Kusaha, which was lush green before the flooding. Houses that have not collapsed are in a dilapidated condition.
"Sometimes I think I am living in the middle of a desert," Mustak Ansari of Paschim Kusaha 4 says, recalling the lush-green vegetation in the village before the Koshi havoc. "When will this desert turn into a lush-green spot?"
Almost all flood victims have similar questions in mind. They blurt out whenever they see a stranger, "Please tell us how we can grow crops here?"
Idris Ansari, who is in Paschim Kusaha-3 to look after his house and land, realls with eyes full of tears, "The Koshi has swamped 10 bigha of my sugarcane farm. We have become refugees."
Ansari says, "We had not expected the Koshi to be so cruel against us."
Men, who have returned to their dilapidate houses from the relief camps, say snakes and poisonous insects have put their lives at risk. We stay awake whenever it rains, they say.
"We remain awake whenever rain lashes the area," says Sriram Mandal of Paschimkusaha.
Back in their land, these brave men are surviving on food grains provided by the government. They eat in common kitchens built in the deserted area.
They are calling on the government to provide them jobs.

Source : www.kantipuronline.com
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Rs 77m more for flood victims

Kantipur Report

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Flood death toll reaches 16 in Kailali

Kantipur Report

KAILALI, Sept 27 - The death toll in the floods in Kailali district has reached 16 and 17 are still missing, the Nepal Red Cross Society said on Saturday.

Two more dead bodies were recovered from Khasuliya-4 and Fulbari-2 in the district today.

According to the police, the bodies are rotten and the deceased could not be identified yet.

Meanwhile, in Sunsari district a flood-displaced elderly died of diarrhoea. The deceased is 75-year-old Jhameli Ram who was taking shelter at camp in Jhumka.

Till today, 13 persons have died of different diseases in the Jhumka camp in the district.

Source : www.kantipuronline.com

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India to bear expenses of redirection of Koshi

Kantipur Report

SUNSARI, Sept 9 - Nepal-India High Level Team of Water Resources reached an agreement on Tuesday to redirect the diverted Koshi River to the Koshi Barrage. The Indian government will bear all the expenses of the effort.

Now ‘sheetpile water control’ technology will be used to divert the water flowing through four villages in Sunsari district towards the Barrage. The River changed its course earlier and inundated several villages in Sunsari district displacing more than 50,000 in the district.

According to Mohan Bhattarai, Chief Engineer at Water-Related Disaster Management Office, from today a new channel to direct the River will be built.

Bhattarai said that the flow of water has dropped to 74,000 cusec and the work will start from today itself,

Meanwhile, people taking shelter at different temporary camps in the district have started returning to their villages to take care of their houses and property.

Source : www.kantipuronline.com
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Flood displaced to be relocated soon

Kantipur Report

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5 more die in camps

BY SHANKER KHAREL

SUNSARI, Sept 7 - Two more persons who were displaced by the Koshi floods succumbed to diarrhea on Saturday, taking the death toll in the aftermath of the floods to 14. Babita Ray, 45, and Mohhamed Khatun, 25, both locals of Haripur, Sunsari district died while undergoing treatment, according to Rajesh Ghimire, superintendent of Armed Police Force.

Similarly, hundreds of flood victims living inside the temporary camps are suffering from communicable diseases including diarrhea, vomiting, pneumonia, typhoid

and cold.

To control the spread of different communicable diseases in the temporary camps inhabited by flood victims, government has mobilized high level medical teams in the affected areas.

According to Minister for Health, Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, 12 teams comprising six doctors and 30 health workers are mobilized in the affected areas to provide medical service.

Similarly, a team of women health workers are being sent to carry out vaccination programs for diseases like measles, vitamin A deficiency, and polio in the flood affected areas, he said.

Another report from Rajbiraj stated that Kasira Khatun, 26, a displaced from Haripur-8, Sunsari district living in temporary camps of Saptari succumbed to diarrhea on Saturday.  Similarly, two people named Goma Chaudhary, 24, of Fattepur-1, Saptari and Jham Bahadur Thapa Magar, 65, died due to snake bite on Saturday.

Source : www.kantipuronline.com
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Flooding Shuts Schools in Sunsari
Somnath Banstola Itahari, September 7:

Schools in Inaruwa and other flood-affected areas of Sunsari district have remained closed for 19 days, affecting thousands of students. The closure came after school buildings were inundated following flooding in the Saptakoshi river. The shutdown has affected 15, 000 students of Haripur, Sripur, Paschim Kusaha and Laukahi, the displaced said.
According to Sunsari District Education Officer Deepak Kafle, over 16,000 students of schools, college and madrasa in Inaruwa and adjoining areas have not been able to give continuity to studies.
"Academic activities cannot resume till flood victims, who have been taking shelter in school and college buildings, are shifted elsewhere," Kafle said.
To enable schools and colleges to resume academic activities, the government should make alternative arrangements for the flood victims first, he said.
"The Saptakoshi flood has inundated 17 community school buildings, six madrasas, 13 buildings of private and boarding schools and 24 child development centres in Paschim Kusaha, Haripur, Sripur and Laukahi VDCs in Sunsari district," Kafle said.
"The flooded Saptakoshi has swept away dresses, textbooks and teaching materials. Educational institutes will not be able to resume classes unless they get textbooks and dresses."
Saying that the Ministry of Education has been urged to supply textbooks and other teaching materials, Kafle said discussions were underway with donor agencies to provide school uniforms to the students.
"Though teaching materials and dresses can be managed, it will be difficult to run classes in flood-affected areas," Jagadish Oli, a district-based educationist said.
As the flooding has damaged chairs, benches and other physical infrastructure of Inaruwa-based schools and colleges, it will be difficult to resume classes.
"Seventy-five per cent of furniture belonging to Inaruwa-based schools, colleges and madrasas has been damaged. They will have to be repaired before the resumption of academic activities," DEO Kafle said.
Lakhs of rupees will be needed for the resumption of academic activities in educational institutes of the district, Sunsari CDO Durga Bhandari said.
"As more than 3,000 furniture items of schools, colleges and madrasas in Inaruwa have been damaged. These items should be repaired to run the educational institutes," said Satya Narayan Meheta, headmaster of the Bal Mandir School, said.
"Discussions are underway with international non-governmental organisations, including the UNICEF, World Vision, Plan Nepal and Save the Children, to resume academic activities in the educational institutes," DEO Kafle said, adding, "It will take at least a week's time to resume classes."

Source : www.thehimalayantimes.com
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$ 1.8 Million Needed for Flood Relief: UNICEF
THT Online Kathmandu, September 4

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is working with its humanitarian partners in Nepal to address some of the specific needs of women and children who have been displaced by the recent floods, says a release. Based on a preliminary assessment, the agency says it needs almost $1.8 million to provide humanitarian assistance to children and women in the affected areas.
Almost 30 shelter sites have been set up so far to accommodate the increasing numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs), which the Government estimates to be around 107,000. Children are said to make up nearly half of that number.
In the affected districts of Sunsari and Saptari, UNICEF has distributed 1,000 blankets for small children and is procuring 10,000 clothing kits for children and young people – along with 3,000 bedding and clothing kits for pregnant and lactating women.
UNICEF has already reached 10,000 people and is planning to reach the total of 55,000 living in temporary shelters in the affected districts.
In addition, the agency and its partners are installing 320 bathing spaces in the shelters especially for women and adolescent girls, to address privacy and security concerns.
Meanwhile, UNICEF is helping the non-governmental organization (NGO) Save the Children to establish at least 30 safe spaces for young people in Sunsari. The spaces will support a variety of activities, including early childhood development, informal schooling, life-skills training, psycho-social support and recreation for children.
Disease and malnutrition are some of UNICEF’s main concerns for children in the affected areas, given the lack of access to safe water and nutritional food. Pregnant and lactating women are also at risk due to these factors.

Source : www.thehimalayantimes.com

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Rs 730m relief plan proposed
BY PRABHAKAR GHIMIRE

KATHMANDU, Sept 4 - The Ministry of Agriculture has proposed a Rs 732 million plan for rehabilitation and relief of farmers affected by the recent devastating Koshi flood.

The proposal, which was submitted to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday, includes immediate, mid- and long-term programs for the benefit of flood victims - mainly farmers in 10 village development committees of Sunsari district.

"We have demanded Rs 732 million in the proposal for short, mid and long-term programs for farmers of the area," ministry spokesperson Dr. Hari Dahal told the Post on Wednesday, adding that the proposal would be forwarded to the cabinet. According to Dahal, immediate relief programs include distribution of composite kits that contain wheat, maize and potato seeds and fertilizers.

Moreover, the immediate relief programs aim at distribution of medicine for cattle, sanitary materials and fingerlings, support for vegetable farming on riverbanks destroyed by the flood, reconstruction of irrigation canals, installation of shallow tube-wells and soil testing.

"We have proposed that agricultural loans - both principal and interest - owed by farmers be cancelled in view of the huge losses they have suffered," said Dahal, who is also coordinator of the Relief Work Implementation Committee under the ministry.

The ministry has also recommended mid- and long-term plans for developing seeds for food grain, secure storage and distribution, and restoring of soil fertility in the affected farmlands.

The ministry also plans to set up Community Service Centers with seed money of Rs 10 million to enhance the skills of farmers in dealing with disease,  farming methods, and exploring markets for agro products. Livestock will be treated without charge for three months to avoid further economic burden on farmers, said Dahal.

Special arrangements will be made to collect milk from the affected areas through the Dairy Development Corporation to prevent thousands of liters of milk going to waste every day.

According to the ministry, more than 6,800 head of cattle have perished in the past two weeks, which amounts to a loss of Rs 13.2 million. Around 80,000 liters of milk is going to waste each day due to lack of access to markets.

The flood wiped out standing crops - paddy, banana, sugarcane, jute - and fisheries on more than 5,300 hectares of land causing a loss of more than Rs 300 million in the district.

In a bid to strengthen the farmers' capabilities in animal husbandry, the ministry has proposed programs to improve the breeds, besides setting

up local livestock markets.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has provided US$ 100,000 to help the ministry provide high nutrition feed and treatment for the animals in the affected areas.

Source : www.kantipuronline.com
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Flood raises epidemic scare
Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu/Itahari, Sept 3:

Epidemic scare loomed large in Sunsari in the aftermath of the Saptakoshi flood fury. While seven people died in the past 24 hours, taking the epidemic toll post-flood to 14. At least 34,560 victims are in dire need of medical assistance in Sunsari and Saptari districts.
According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), 23,150 people in Sunsari and 11,410 in Saptari were in need of medical aid.
A majority of the victims are suffering from commonplace ailments like diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, fever, respiratory disorder and skin infection that have intensified due to lack of proper medical aid.
Cases of clinical cholera, typhoid, pneumonia, meningitis and snake bite have also been reported.
“Most of the cases are fresh. Under normal circumstances, we would have been able to control them within four days. But, now it’s hard to predict. Though the figures are alarming, all the cases are not that serious,” said Dr Bindeshwor Prasad Yadav, epidemiologist, EDCD.
The EDCD is currently coordinating with the authorities concerned in the districts to extend support to the victims. Also, assistance is being provided to the mobile medical teams. Dr Yadav said the crisis would deepen till a proper rescue and relief operation is put in place.
According to the data available with the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), more than 60,000 have been displaced due to the ravages of the flood. NRCS states that at least 1,023 of them are highly vulnerable to epidemic.
Nepal Army doctor Bina Basnet said 700 displaced living in a camp in Haripur-2 had fallen ill and the condition of 25 was critical.
The number of pneumonia and influenza patients is on rise in Sunsari district hospital at Inaruwa, doctors said.
Meanwhile, Sunsari CDO Durga Bhandari said it was the responsibility of Saptari district officials to take care of Haripur flood-victims.

Govt may declare emergency in Sunsari:
KATHMANDU: The government plans to declare state of emergency in flood-hit areas in a bid to effectively carry out relief and rehabilitation work. “Once the emergency is declared, the government can easily acquire land for rehabilitation,” said Thir Bahadur GC, an under secretary at the Home Ministry.
At present, most of the displaced have taken shelter in schools, madarsas and other public buildings. “We need to provide proper shelter to the victims. The government needs land for rehabilitation. Under normal circumstances, businessmen are empowered to deny to give their land for this purpose. But they will be compelled to do so during emergency,” GC explained.
The Home Ministry is likely to spend Rs 45 million for rehabilitation in Sunsari district alone over the next nine months.
According to GC, the ministry has already sent a plan to the cabinet.
It is likely to be ratified tomorrow. — HNS

Source : www.thehimalayantimes.com

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पीडितहरूका लागि

जितेन्द्र खड्गा

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Situation in Sunsari and Saptari Districts, Eastern Nepal
1) Flooding: The flood waters of Koshi River which broke through eastern embarkment on 18th August still cover two VDCs in Sunsari district, (Shree) Haripur and Shripurjavdi, almost entirely. The water stands several meters deep at some areas, The flood also partially coverers Laukihi (flooding occurred in the Western part of the VDC) and Paschihim Kushaha (wards 3,4,8 and 9). Other VDCs in the area ( Bhokraha, Madhuwan, Narshigha, Bashntapur and Dhuskighat) have experienced some limited flooding and are hosting displaced people. The flooding also extends beyond the Indian border and has caused significant damages and human suffering there. Sapatri district has not been flooded as such, but has seen an influx of displaced people from Sunsari district.

2) The East West highway remains impassable, as it has been broken at three points by the river waters, and may take considerable time to repair. The Koshi and Mechi Zones are thus disconnected from Nepal's road network. The alternative route through Bathanaha-Birpur-Bahantabari in Bihar, India, has also reportedly become impassable thus lengthening the land route detour considerably. The NTC phone service is restored as of 21 August, but has been intermittent and difficulties should be anticipated for some days. The mero mobile network is working, while the CDMA service is not.

3) Displacement: The Government (MOHA) estimates that at least 7o,ooo people are affected by the flooding in the area, and 7,000 families are displaced. The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) reports a number of 54,ooo affected persons as of 22 August. Most of the displaced are poor farmers or land labourers, many of them Maithili speakers.

4) The rescue operation using more than 2o boats and also elephants continues, mainly through the DDRC as well as Koshi Victim Society (KVS) in Saptari.

5) There is as of yet no official reports about human casualties or missing persons. Media reports indicate that 4 to 6 people may have been killed. Reports of 27 bodies found in India could not yet be confirmed.

6) As of 22 August there were roughly 13,6oo people in shelters in Inarnwa, the District HQ of Sunsari, and other VDCs of Sunsari as well as in shelters inns have started repair jobs in the embankments from Wednesday.
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Koshi flood displaces 35,000 people, three feared dead, 12 missing
More than 35,000 people who have been displaced after the Saptakoshi river damaged dams in Western Kusaha region of Sunsari district on Monday are now taking shelter in local schools in the area.

Local authorities say that the displaced have been put up at 12 government-run schools, government offices and private homes in Inaruwa, the district headquarter of Sunsari.

Dev Narayan Yadav of the Koshi Pidit Samak, an organization of people victimized by the annual floods in Koshi river, said that the displaced, many of whom are in a very bad-condition, are in desperate need of food, shelter and medicines.

A team of Nepal Army personnel and police force are continually engaged in rescue efforts along with distributing relief materials in the affected areas. They are said to be getting help from the locals in this matter.

As the swollen river started to erode the dams and inundate the nearby villages, tens of thousands of local people had started to flee their homes for safety from Monday night.

The raging river completely swept away more than 3,000 houses and destroyed huge tracts of paddy fields.

Reports just coming in say that 3 people have died of drowning in the swollen river and more than 12 people are feared to be missing. However, police said that they only have information about the missing people.

A section of East-West highway in Laukahi area has also been obstructed due to the flood, adversely affecting rescue efforts and transportation in the region. Hundreds of passengers traveling to far eastern Nepal have been stranded because of this as their buses remained park at the other end of the Koshi barrage.

The swollen river water has also damaged the optical fibre of Nepal Telecom in the district, because of which the mobile phone services in eastern Nepal has also been disrupted. According to Nepal Telecom, this has affected more than one hundred thousand mobile phone users in the region. NT officials said that the mobile service would only resume after repairs are carried on the damaged optical fibre and said that this is not possible until the river water recedes

Reports said Laukahi, Kusaha, Ghuski, Sripur, Haripur and Basantapur VDCs have been the most affected

The flood has affected the buffer region of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. An army battalion located there for its safety, too, had to shift to safety.

Local people have accused the authorities of not acting on time to avert the disaster.

Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, Khomraj Dahal, director general of Water Induced Disaster Prevention Department, told Kantipur that the disaster occurred due to lack of repair and maintenance of barrage. As per the Koshi agreement, India is responsible for operation and maintenance of the barrage.

In another report, Sharad Yadav, leader of the Indian delegation currently in Nepal, said that Prime Minister Dahal has informed them about the inundation in Sunsari district caused by Koshi dam. He said both Nepal and India could solve the problem through proper management of the water in Koshi River while assuring he would raise this issue in the Indian parliament.
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