नुवाकोट र रसुवा जोड्न वेत्रावतीस्थित फलाखु खोलामा बनाइएको फड्के तरेर रसुवातर्फ जाँदै रसुवाका स्थानीयवासी । रसुवावासीलाई बाहिरी जिल्लासँग जोड्ने वेत्रावतीको दुईवटा पक्कीपुल भोटेकोशी बाढीले बगाएपछि अहिले रसुवा-नुवाकोटको आउजाउ यहीँ फड्केमार्फत गरिँदै आएको छ । तस्बिरः रामहरि न्यौपाने/रासस
Kathmandu, Oct 6: More than a month after the August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river system, residents of flood-affected areas in Nuwakot say they are still struggling to rebuild their lives amid damaged homes, broken roads and bridges and rising transportation costs.
Residents from several flood-affected local levels shared their difficulties with Minister for Information and Communications Dr Bikram Timilsina, who is also the House of Representatives member from Nuwakot-1, during a meeting held at the Ministry on Monday.
For many affected communities, the disaster has not ended with the receding floodwaters. Damaged roads and bridges have disrupted everyday movement, while poor connectivity has made it more expensive to transport goods into the affected settlements. Residents said the increased transportation costs have pushed up the prices of daily necessities, adding to their financial burden during the festive season.
Although there is no immediate shortage of food and other essential supplies, residents said many families are still living with uncertainty over safe housing and basic infrastructure. They stressed that damaged houses need to be rebuilt and roads and bridges restored urgently so that affected communities can begin returning to normal life.
The residents particularly called for the immediate construction of Bailey bridges at four to five locations and suspension bridges wherever necessary to reconnect settlements separated by the Trishuli River. They also urged the government to move ahead with permanent motorable bridges as a long-term solution.
For flood-affected families, however, rebuilding infrastructure alone is not enough. They also called for the speedy distribution of relief funds and sustained rehabilitation support, saying delays would make it harder for families already struggling to recover from the disaster.
The impact has been particularly painful for children who lost their parents or guardians in the floods. Participants called for special arrangements to ensure that these children do not lose access to education and healthcare while their families and communities struggle to recover.
Residents also stressed that people directly affected by the disaster should have a meaningful role in deciding how relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes are designed and implemented. They said local experiences and immediate needs must be taken into account when determining priorities.
After hearing the concerns, Minister Timilsina said the government was prioritising relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction, while also working to establish safe and reliable infrastructure in the affected areas.
House of Representatives member from Nuwakot-2 Dr Achyutam Lamichhane also attended the discussion.
