By Our Correspondent
Bajura, July 25: Three days of heavy rainfall has put Rughakhocha in Badimalika Municipality–5 at a high risk of landslide.
Rocks have started falling from above while a flooded Budhiganga River continues to erode the land below the settlement, forcing the locals to flee their homes.
“We fear that a landslide may occur at any moment, sweeping away the entire village and destroying our houses,” said villager Padam Bahadur Thapa.
Thapa had to leave his home on Friday after rocks and mud started hitting his house.
“Every time it rains, we are forced to stay alert and pray that a tragedy does not occur,” he said.
According to Bal Bahadur Thapa, the villagers have not been able to sleep at night since the monsoon started.
“We cannot predict when and where a landslide will come crashing down. So, to prevent loss of life, we have asked the locals to stay at a safe place,” Madanjit Mahara, chief of the District Police Office of Bajura, informed. The District Police Office has stated that the entire settlement is in danger of monsoon-induced calamities.
Meanwhile, the issue of Rughakhocha and other risky settlements like it has also been raised at the District Disaster Management Committee which is looking at the possibility of relocating them, Chief District Officer Gopal Kumar Adhikari shared.
It has been raining sporadically in Bajura since June 15, causing landslides across the district and displacing hundreds of people.