सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Panchthar. The landslide that occurred in front of Chudamani Timsina’s house in Lungpintang, Falelung Rural Municipality-3 has reached the Henwa River, about a kilometer below. The landslide has swept away the farmland of 13 families, including his two sons. All these families, including Timsina’s family, have recently returned home after the landslide that occurred on the morning of Asoj 12, which was staying at the Thakepung service center of Falelung Rural Municipality.
The village was shaken by the flood in Henwa River on the morning of Asoj 12, which had been raining since Asoj 9. The villagers became aware that the ground began to crack that morning. Timsina says that he was saved because the Nepal Police came from the rural municipality and dragged him away while he was cutting hay to move the cattle in the morning.
‘The village came and moved the cattle,’ he said. The rain and landslides have stopped, but the village is still not habitable. Floods have broken out everywhere in Lungpintang. Some people’s houses are stuck, some people’s fields. ‘It’s just for the winter, we can’t live here during the monsoon.’ Timsina said, hoping that the government would do something, ‘Let’s see what the government will do now? We can’t live here. We are scared, there is no place to move anywhere else.’
The old man says that a flood and landslide occurred in the eastern hills in 2025 BS. Timsina, 73, witnessed the landslide firsthand. The landslide occurred near her house, which is now on the side of the road, but Timsina remembers that the damage was not as severe as it is now. ‘My village was swept away,’ he said. ‘This time, the landslide left nothing to be seen in the village.’ The pain caused by the landslide is not limited to this. The Timsina couple had sons aged 10 and 4. The grandchildren, who were calling and missing in their old age, have come to Jhapa after the landslide.
‘There was no way to go. If a landslide occurs again, it will be difficult for the little ones to run away and save them, so my daughter-in-law did not take me to Jhapa,’ Timsina added. ‘My son is abroad.’ The situation in Sheetalpati in the same ward is even more dire. Ten families live in this village near the Henwa River. Landslides have occurred here and there. Everyone’s houses are shaking.
Some have collapsed. The crops that were about to ripen have been damaged. The Henwa River, visible in front of the house, has ruined a lot of land. After the rains stopped, the villagers who returned to the village are worried about where to go to save their lives during the next rainy season. Narmaya Limbu’s house and fields are in different places. After the landslide swept away all the fields, the grief of what to eat has come over Limbu. Limbu’s paddy field, where she and her mother had been living after the death of her husband, has been washed away by the landslide.
‘We were very affected, we have gone to the ward and submitted a petition,’ Limbu said, ‘Maybe we will get some help.’ Man Bahadur Kerung, who also lives in Phedangwa (Jhakri), had a grandson and a nephew living in his house before Asoj 12.
Man Bahadur, who has only four daughters, had all his daughters married and gone home, and his nephew and grandson were his support. But after a landslide occurred around his house on Asoj 12, the family was displaced and took shelter in a school in nearby Machhebung. After the rains stopped, Man Bahadur and his wife Sukhmaya returned home, while his nephew and grandson headed to their respective homes for fear of landslides.
Man Bahadur says that he sent his nephew and grandson to their respective homes for fear of landslides here (in Sheetalpati). ‘We, the elderly, do not have the financial means to go anywhere. What to do when there is no money? We ran around, we stayed’ 70-year-old Man Bahadur said in despair, ‘That’s how it will be now. If we go to Jhapa, we won’t have money.’
After being unable to live at home due to the landslide, the family of young Sharna Kumar Kerung has been displaced and has started living in Machhebung. ‘Ten households have suffered some damage. Everyone living here is planning to move out’ Sharna Kumar, who has been helping his neighbors, said, ‘Everyone has concluded that it will be impossible to live during the rainy season. No one is in a position to earn a living.’
The village has been surrounded by landslides from all sides. No houses can be found intact. Despite the landslides, Sharna Kumar says that no human casualties were caused due to the cleverness of the locals. ‘When the river became large, all the villagers gathered and looked everywhere. When we were sure that the landslide was going to happen, we managed to survive,’ Sharna Kumar said.
Sharna Kumar and his brother are living in Machhebung nearby, having already moved two houses from that place. After the kitchen was washed away and the house was at risk of landslide, Khadga Bahadur Kerung, who had been taking shelter in his son’s house, reached the age of 69. ‘I must have had to save my life for a moment. There was water here, there. There was landslide everywhere,’ Khadga Bahadur added. ‘God made it happen like this. I don’t know how many days I will have to live like this.’
Like Lungpintang and Sheetalpati of Falelung Rural Municipality-3, Chempuwa, Khurbuk, Gairigaun, Gurungtar and Talkharka of Falelung Rural Municipality-4, Lungmadin, Sirise, Ludin and Fenglitar of Ward No. 5, Thade, Namle and Kholaghari villages of Ward No. 6 are at high risk of landslides. More than a dozen families from Fenglitar are still displaced and living elsewhere.
According to Falelung Rural Municipality Chairman Bir Bikram Thamsuhang, 70 houses in all wards have been completely damaged, while 293 houses have been partially damaged. He said that the floods and landslides have caused extensive damage to the physical and agricultural sectors in Falelung.
Most of the displaced people here have started returning home. But some of the displaced people have started moving from here. Chairman Thamsuhang said, ‘I have been urging everyone not to panic for some time. But who will stop when the village is in a state of disarray?’ He said that there is no option but to relocate the heavily affected settlements.
‘Until now, we have been working hard to bring the displaced people to a safe place. Now we have started thinking about a long-term solution,’ Chairman Thamsuhang said, ‘What can the village council alone do? There is no alternative to seeking assistance from the provincial and federal governments and relocating the settlements at risk by constructing integrated settlements.’
Mahendrahang Jabegu, the vice-chairman of the rural municipality, says that discussions are underway at the municipal level for this. Due to floods and landslides, rural roads including blacktop have been damaged in this rural municipality. The rural municipality has stated that there has been damage to drinking water, irrigation, electricity, schools, health institutions and other infrastructure.
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