KATHMANDU, Oct 15: Around 450 families displaced by floods and evictions will spend this Dashain in holding centres. They include 350 families affected by the Bhotekoshi floods and 109 landless families.
The landless families have lived in the centres since April–May (Baisakh), with no certainty about when they can leave. The government has announced plans to build temporary housing for flood victims and has identified land for construction.
Machhakaji Maharjan, member secretary of the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, said 109 landless families remain in three holding centres.
They are staying at the Agricultural Training Centre in Bode, Bhaktapur, the Electricity Training Centre in Kharipati and apartments in Ichangunarayan, Kathmandu. The government provides their accommodation. Displaced landless families living outside the centres receive Rs 15,000 a month in rental support, Maharjan said.
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The government evicted residents from several informal settlements across Kathmandu Valley in April–May (Baisakh), bulldozing 19 settlements and moving some displaced families into temporary holding centres.
Initially, 388 families were accommodated in Nagarkot, Banepa, Kirtipur, Bode, Kharipati, various hotels in Balaju and Ichangunarayan. The government gradually began vacating these facilities. Three centres still house landless families.
The evictions demolished 2,687 houses and shelters, including 890 permanent and 1,797 temporary structures. According to the Kathmandu District Administration Office, 15,316 people were displaced: 6,858 men, 5,325 women, 1,437 boys and 1,696 girls.
Meanwhile, 350 families left homeless by the August 26 (Bhadra 10) Bhotekoshi floods in Rasuwa remain in holding centres.
Shashindra Ghimire, chief of the Intensive Urban and Building Construction Project, said flood victims are staying in five centres in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot. Local, provincial and federal governments, along with various organisations, are providing meals.
The number of flood victims staying in the centres changes daily. According to the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the floods destroyed 7,570 government, public and private buildings across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan.
In Rasuwa, the losses included 1,043 houses in Gosaikunda, 112 in Kalika, 57 in Aamachhodingmo and 567 in Uttargaya.
In Nuwakot, 212 houses were destroyed in Belkotgadhi, 3,036 in Bidur, 696 in Kispang and 43 in Tarkeshwar. Dhading lost 1,037 houses in Benighat, 107 in Gajuri, 79 in Galchhi and 228 in Siddhalek.
In Gorkha, 248 houses were destroyed in Gandaki and 15 in Shahid Lakhan. Another 100 houses were destroyed in Ichchhakamana, Chitwan.