Floods and landslides damage 316 homes in Parbat’s Jaljala Rural Municipality

More than 300 families in Jaljala Rural Municipality, Parbat district, have been affected by recent monsoon-induced floods and landslides. The disaster, which occurred after heavy rainfall from Ashoj 8 to 11 (BS), damaged 316 homes, according to the rural municipality.Sandeep Kafle, Chief Administrative Officer of Jaljala Rural Municipality, stated that 126 homes were completely destroyed, and 50 sustained partial damage. An additional 140 homes are at risk. The floods and landslides caused extensive damage not only to private residences but also to agricultural land, including millet, paddy, and orange farms, as well as roads, drinking water systems, irrigation facilities, and infrastructure built for settlement protection.Jaljala Rural Municipality-8, Farse, was the worst-hit area, where the Kali Gandaki River’s floodwaters swept away 75 homes, leaving another 27 at risk. Along with Farse, Tangwang and Khanigaun in Ward No 7, and Lamakhet in Ward No 4, were also severely affected. Thirty-five families from Tangwang and Khanigaun were displaced due to landslides.Deepak Acharya, Vice-Chairperson of Jaljala Rural Municipality, explained that landslides have encircled settlements and cracked hillsides, making house walls unsafe. Residents of Khanigaun and Tangwang have moved to safer areas and are living in temporary shelters. Those affected by the floods who have no other homes and cannot manage on their own have been placed in temporary camps.Raju Prasad Acharya, Chairperson of Jaljala Rural Municipality, said the rural municipality has initiated a plan for providing basic relief materials and implementing short-term and long-term rehabilitation in the affected areas. He stated that the immediate plan is to provide corrugated iron sheets, utensils, clothes, and food to establish temporary shelters for residents. For long-term rehabilitation, the rural municipality plans to reconstruct private homes and damaged physical structures in accordance with government policies. This includes the reconstruction of damaged roads, drinking water systems, irrigation facilities, and school buildings, as well as the protection of at-risk settlements.Coordination is ongoing with federal and provincial governments and donor agencies to secure the necessary financial resources for flood and landslide control, Chairperson Acharya added. The ‘Parbat Jaljala Nepali Community’ in Australia has contributed Rs 783,358.50 to the relief efforts.However, it remains unclear when permanent housing arrangements will be made for the displaced families, how much financial assistance will be received from federal, provincial governments, and donor agencies, and when the reconstruction of damaged school buildings will begin to resume students’ education.