Baglung flood survivors face Dashain without homes as rebuilding stalls

The flood struck Nisikhola Rural Municipality-3 on September 27 and destroyed homes and farmland. Families had only minutes to save a few clothes and utensils before losing most of their belongings. The disaster turned a festival usually spent at home into a period of displacement.

Rajman Budha’s family of seven now shares one room in the Bohoragaun Agriculture Cooperative building. Dil Kumari Regmi’s family is living with her husband’s younger brother, while neighbour Prem Paudel has divided part of a surviving buffalo shed into a shelter. Survivors first stayed in nearby schools before moving elsewhere.

Relief supplies from local authorities, the District Disaster Management Committee and donors are helping families survive. But temporary housing may end, and many survivors have no land for new homes. They must find plots and meet construction requirements before rebuilding grants can be used. Delays could push families away from their villages.

The disaster destroyed 26 houses in Nisikhola and damaged another 20. These figures show that the crisis extends beyond families whose homes vanished completely. Damaged houses may also require repairs before they are safe or usable, while destroyed homes must be replaced.

The losses affected people such as Rajman Budha, whose house and farmland were swept away. Prem Paudel also lost his home and farmland and now lives in a partitioned buffalo shed. Dil Kumari Regmi’s family lost a house built with savings earned by her husband in Dubai. The flood therefore removed both shelter and productive land.

The numbers also point to a wider rebuilding challenge. Survivors need land, construction approval and engineer supervision to access government support. Until those steps are completed, families rely on relatives, temporary buildings, improvised shelters and relief supplies. Prolonged delays could encourage residents to leave the village.

A government reconstruction grant is financial assistance for disaster victims whose homes have been destroyed. The support can reach Rs400,000. Its purpose is to help eligible families build replacement homes after a disaster, but the money is not automatically available to every displaced household.

Recipients must first secure land and follow prescribed construction requirements. Homes must meet set standards and be built under an engineer’s supervision. Rajman Budha hopes to find a neighbour’s plot after Dashain and use the grant to construct a new house. His family currently has no land on which to build.

The grant therefore links financial help to practical conditions. A family may qualify as a disaster victim but still be unable to use the money without a plot and approved construction process. Survivors say these requirements are difficult after losing homes, farmland, savings and income. Timely access would help families remain in their communities.

Survivors face a land problem as well as a money problem. The flood swept away houses and farmland, so some families have nowhere to build. The reconstruction grant is available only when recipients secure land and meet prescribed requirements. That makes the grant difficult to use precisely when families are most vulnerable.

Prem Paudel says houses must meet standards and be built under an engineer’s supervision. He wants families to receive the grant and add their own money to build homes suitable for them. Dil Kumari Regmi’s family is still paying a loan for the house that was destroyed, while Rajman Budha has no plot for a replacement.

These conditions create delays. Families remain with relatives, in a cooperative building or in a buffalo shed while they search for land and wait for assistance. Paudel fears lengthy procedures could drive residents away, weakening a community built around shared work and long-term settlement.

When survivors cannot secure land or receive aid quickly, temporary shelter can become their only option. Families may depend on relatives, shared buildings, relief supplies or improvised spaces. The uncertainty is severe because some temporary arrangements may end when the space is needed for another purpose.

Rajman Budha’s family occupies one room in an agricultural cooperative building. Dil Kumari Regmi lives with her husband’s younger brother and children. Prem Paudel has partitioned a buffalo shed because the flood destroyed his house and farmland. These arrangements provide immediate shelter but do not replace a stable home.

The effects can spread beyond individual families. Paudel fears delays will push residents to leave the village, separating families who have lived and worked together. Survivors also fear living near rivers and streams, while those without land face a choice between risk and relocation. Timely assistance could help people rebuild and preserve the community.

Survivors who cannot rebuild on former land have several immediate or possible alternatives. They can stay with relatives, use temporary rooms offered by institutions, or occupy another surviving structure. They can also search for a new plot nearby. If remaining near rivers and streams feels too dangerous, leaving the village may become the alternative.

Rajman Budha’s family is staying in a room at the Bohoragaun Agriculture Cooperative. Dil Kumari Regmi’s family lives with Sagar, her husband’s younger brother. Prem Paudel uses a buffalo shed, while planning to find land in the village. Budha also hopes to obtain a neighbour’s plot after Dashain.

These choices are limited and uncertain. Temporary accommodation may not remain available, and moving away could break established community ties. The article does not describe a formal relocation programme. It reports that survivors are weighing local resettlement against leaving, with timely government assistance likely to influence that decision.

Floods and landslides can create prolonged housing crises because they destroy more than buildings. They can remove the land where a house stood, erase farmland, wipe out savings and interrupt income. Families then need shelter immediately while also finding a safe place and resources for permanent construction.

The experiences in Nisikhola show this mechanism clearly. The flood swept away Rajman Budha’s house and farmland. Hemlal used ten years of earnings in Dubai to build a home, but the flood destroyed it and the family still owes the construction loan. Prem Paudel lost his house and farmland and cannot afford another home now.

Government assistance may not solve the crisis quickly. The grant requires land, construction standards and engineer supervision. Families may also need their own money. Until these barriers are addressed, they remain dependent on temporary shelter and relief, and some may leave their villages for safer housing.