By Sher Bahadur Sarki, Bajura, July 1: More than a dozen settlements in Bajura have been displaced due to floods in the Budhiganga River.

Although the river has eroded thousands of bighas of cultivated land, it has not yet been managed properly by the concerned authorities.

In 1999, hundreds of shops, thousands of quintals of paddy and dozens of houses were flooded in Budhiganga-3, Basali village at Sera. However, the displaced families have not been able to manage their land so far.

Daribhane Nepali of Budhiganga-1, Amkot, said that they have been provided food items including salt, oil, rice, clothes and tents by counting the number of displaced persons.

Dozens of settlements including Ghatmuna Badimalika, Rapka, Selaghat, Ghanghar, Jadaga and Rila Tipada of Gaumul were displaced due to incessant rainfall and flood in July last year.

Locals said hundreds of bighas of land cultivated by these settlements have been eroded by the Budhiganga River. The floods and landslides in Ghattekhola on June 6 this year have caused damage to the settlements including Kundhi, Khetkot Nadag and Taprisera.

Kavita Thapa of Budhiganga-2 said that the locals in Olena, Taprisera, Basali, Falasain and surrounding areas are also in danger as the water level in the river is increasing with the beginning of the monsoon season.

Now the locals of the settlements around the river are in a panicky situation due to the floods. A few days ago, the floods washed away their fish, pigs and chickens. Dozens of settlements have been at risk of river erosion every year due to the lack of integrated management of the river despite the implementation of the annual embankment programme for river control.

Though the local government has been collecting data of more than a hundred settlements at risk, no settlement has been shifted to a safe place so far. According to the District Disaster Management Committee, Bajura, the local level has sent a letter to the concerned authorities for the management of flood-affected settlements.