When it rains, the family of 47-year-old Buthidevi Thakur of Badharwa, located in Durgabhagavati Rural Municipality-5, cannot sleep well at night. The Thakur family has been facing the same fate every year for three decades. Not only his family, the story of nearly 300 families dependent on the Bagmati dam side is the same.

Now the rainy season has started. Butahi said, "We are people who have died many times and survived." The state has never heard the story of our pain.' He has a long account of the events that happened during the past rains. When making that statement, his face shows anger. 

last year in the first week of July . Clouds began to form in the sky. It was like a normal rainy day for the Buthi living across the Bagmati Dam. But the rain that fell overnight flooded the village. 

"First, a little water reached the yard of the house," Butahi said, "After two hours, half of the house has been submerged." We saved our lives by climbing over the Dhan dam. The family had to leave the house at night. They went to the dam and took shelter. The wooden house was destroyed by the flood. Rags, clothes, food, utensils and water left nothing. 

The next day the local administration started distributing relief . The team returned after distributing Tripal and some food. On reaching the village on Monday, the women sitting on the other side of the dam gathered to share their pain. Began to show how far the water level of the Bagmati falls. Their only voice was - 'We have lost our faith in the government.' 

They have been waiting for permanent residence for a long time. Last year in June, most of the residents of Badharwa saved their lives by climbing the dam overnight after their houses were flooded due to continuous rain. A dam has been built on the west side of the Bagmati River. 300 families of Badharwa and Chandia live on the other side of the dam.

Terai, Madhesh districts are always afraid of natural calamities. Also in Rautahat, after the flood of Bagmati and Lalbakaia entered the settlement, it has been inundated every year. 

2076 In the last week of July, after the flood of Bagmati entered the village, 300 houses under the dam were inundated, some were washed away. Local Indu Das is worried that the same fate will repeat itself this year. Locals have been demanding a safe place of residence saying that they have been chased by natural disasters for a long time . The pain of 65-year-old Sukhal Das of Badharwa is no less than that of Buthi. 

He shuddered remembering last year's flood. After the house was flooded in the middle of the night, he and his family members spent the night on the dam to save their lives. The Indian government has built a 33.5 km long dam in the western region in 1989 to prevent the damage caused by Bagmati floods. The families of Durgabhagavati and Rajdevi municipalities live under the same dam. Most of the houses are facing west.

Rashmidevi Das's house is on the east side of the dam. When Bagmati floods, his house is the first to be submerged. Last year, the flood in Bagmati river submerged his house . The Das family was also displaced after the flood of 2050 washed away their house and 5 acres of fields. Now there is no number at all . All Ilani land under the dam is . On 29 June 2050, 300 families of Badharwa and Chandia were displaced after a severe flood in the Bagmati River. Most of the farms were washed away and turned into bogs. Run home . 7 people died. 200 bighas of local land turned into sand in a blink of an eye. Even now, the Bagmati river is flowing in the cultivated land . After the flood, the people living under the dam have repeatedly drawn the attention of the government.

At the same time as the flooding, the President of United Socialist Party and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, the then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and other leaders came to Rautahat . Returned after inspecting the area of ​​flood and inundation by helicopter. Many ministers and MPs also came and returned. Rupesh Das, a local, said that during floods and inundation, central, provincial ministers and parliamentarians have been missing for the last one and a half decades. "Many ministers and leaders come here to be comforted when they are in pain," he said, "We are looking for a permanent residence." At least don't get damaged by flooding . But the government does not listen to our voice.' 

Bagmati, Lalbakaia and many ministers and parliamentarians who return after seeing the Gaur border dam unilaterally imposed by India. Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba reached Badharwa settlement on 23rd July 2076 to see this drowning. But look back, that's where the problem lies. Locals have been expressing their grief saying that there is no work to protect Terai Madhesh from inundation and flooding with a solid and long-term plan. The ministers of the government, including the chairman of the National Assembly, the chairman of the development committee, the chief minister of Madhesh province, have come and inspected the inundation and border dams and are returning. 

The beginning of grief

In 2032, India built a 30-kilometer-long dam more than 20 feet high in the border area of ​​Rautahat to protect its land including Bairagania. Dams have protected Indian land from inundation . At that time, when they were going to build a dam, the people of Gaur opposed the Indians . While the construction work was starting, the locals of Gaur took out a rally. Protested daily. The Indian side did not hold any hearing. 

The then Chief District Officer Chandrikananda Kharel informed the Ministry of Home Affairs. Then the then Panchayat Home Minister Jogmehar Shrestha Gaur came and held talks with the Indian side. Vijay Kishore Jha, a local social worker of Gaur, said that the Indian officials at that time promised to open the doors and help when the Nepali land was flooded by the dam. He is one of the eyewitnesses and one of those who sat in the talks.

"Even after 32 years, Gaur is getting flooded," said Jha. He used to give grief. Now that is the situation.' 

The security personnel of the Indian Armed Forces (SSB) patrol with modern weapons because the Nepalese break the dam when there is flooding in Gaur. No one is allowed near the dam. India has built a dam inside Dasgaja against international norms. The district administration has been calling the heads of local levels across the district before the onset of rains and requesting them to be prepared to avoid natural calamities. 

During the rains, 70/80 percent of the district is flooded. The problem of floods in Bagmati and Lalbakaia rivers is not new. The residents of the district have been suffering this fate for 25 years.

annual damage, solution when ?

Last year during the rains, most of the settlements in the district were closed and 4 people died according to the district administration office. According to the administration, 9 people were injured in the flood and inundation. 10,000 hectares of paddy crops were damaged. 300 hectares of sugarcane crops, 1250 hectares of vegetable crops and 150 hectares of fruit orchards were damaged. 1810 families were displaced. 34 quadrupeds were lost in the flood. 542 houses were completely damaged. 2445 houses partially damaged. It is mentioned in the data of the administration that there was a loss of about 9 crores. 

Chief District Officer Vinod Kumar Khadka said that he has requested all the municipal heads to be prepared to prevent loss of wealth to Rautahat residents who are suffering from floods and inundation every year. "I have been requesting the heads of the municipality to make preparations during the disaster meeting," he said, "if Lalbakaiya and Bagati dams are strengthened, perhaps many houses will be saved from inundation." After continuous rains, rivers including Bagmati, Jhim, Lakhandehi, Soti and Manusmara flooded. 8 municipalities in the south-west of the district were affected after the dam broke and water entered the village. 290 houses were completely damaged due to floods and inundation. District Administration Office Sarlahi said that about 600 houses have been partially damaged. The families who lost their homes due to floods and inundation took refuge with their relatives. 

The local administration kept some of the victims in nearby public buildings and hospices. Saroj Singh of Sbalra said that despite the flood in the village, he had to face the problem of drinking water. "During the rainy season, the only thing we experience is flooding," he says.

At that time, five houses in Barhathwa municipality-4, Harpurwa village were partially damaged by the flood in Soti River. Kalpanakumari Katuwal, chief of Barathawa municipality, complained that the problem of floods and inundation has been causing her pain for years. Most of the residents of the flooded villages did not get clean drinking water at that time. 

On the 28th of June 2076, after the continuous rain, the security personnel deployed in the south-west inundated area of ​​Sarlahi were out of contact from the district headquarters in Malangwa. Due to flood and inundation, security personnel of border out post were out of contact with Nepal Police post, area police, armed police. Due to power outage for 6 days, they could not even charge the mobile phones of the communication set and the unit in-charge. At that time, Sarlahi District Police Office informed the police head office that the security unit of Duban area could not be contacted. 

Due to the lack of electricity, the towers of Telecom and Ncell could not be operational in the Duban area, even the security personnel from the district could not talk on their mobile phones, informed the then DSP Pratin Singh Rathore . According to Rathore, half a dozen units including Balra Police Station, Innerrwa Police Station, Harkathwa Police Station, Chankitola Police Station were out of contact. Due to the lack of contact with the units in the inundation area, there was difficulty in collecting details of rescue and damage. 

About 200 houses of Kadamaha located in Rajviraj municipality-10 were flooded on June 21, 2078 when the Jita river dam in Saptari collapsed. The houses of ward number 2, 10, 12, 15 were flooded. At the same time, 300 houses of Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality - 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Saptari were also flooded. The district administration office informed that about 200 families of Koshitappu located in Gobargadha of Hanumannagar Kankalani were flooded. In Saptari, they have been suffering every year due to floods in various rivers, submerging the settlements. 

54 houses were flooded in Saptakoshi Municipality due to flood on 25th June 2081 in Triyuga River in Saptari. After continuous rains, the flood in Triyuga entered the squatter settlement located in Saptakoshi Municipality 2, Fattepur. At that time, Nepal Police, Armed Forces, Nepali Army rescue teams and local people's representatives rescued those trapped in the flood and kept them in a safe place in the inundated area. Although there was no human loss due to flooding, it damaged houses, clothes, food, etc. . 

On 8th July 2078, 150 houses in Parsa were completely damaged by the flood that came after incessant rain. According to the District Administration Office Parsa, 391 houses were partially damaged. 677 households were affected by the flood. At that time, according to the data collected by the District Disaster Management Committee, 4,000 people were affected by the flood. It was estimated that the flood caused damage worth 23 million worth of residences. 

In Madhesh Pradesh in 2074, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara and Parsa caused great damage. In Mahottari on 32nd July 2074, 4 people died due to inundation and flooding after continuous rain. One disappeared . It is mentioned in the data of the administration that 347 houses have been damaged. About 10,000 people were displaced. Security personnel rescued 4,000 people trapped in floods and inundation.

Gopalpur, Raharpatti, Singiyahi, Matihani, Baluwa, Ekdanda and other villages were more affected. 7 people died due to flood in Sarlahi. One disappeared . Around 100,000 people were affected by floods and inundation. The administration kept the displaced people in public buildings and open places in Tripal. Various organizations gave dry fruits to the flood victims. District Disaster Relief Committee distributed relief in 6 places. 

3 people died in Bara due to flood . 1 person went missing . The number of people affected by the flood was more than 3 thousand. About 700 houses have been completely damaged in the district. 1100 houses were partially damaged. Those displaced by the flood were kept in public buildings. Some of the victims went to stay with their relatives. The flood caused a lot of damage to the road structure of Bara. The road was washed away in many places. At that time, Dudhaura bridge under East-West Highway was also washed away. Although the contract for the bridge was awarded three years ago, it has not yet been completed.

5 people died in Parsa in 2076 due to flood and inundation. Hundreds of bighas of paddy crops were submerged. More than 500 houses were flooded. Three thousand were displaced. The north, west and south parts of Parsa were more affected by the floods. At that time, Nagwa, Bagwan, Masihania, Patterwa, Dhobini and other villages and some wards of Birgunj metropolis were also flooded. 

18 people died in Rautahat due to flood and inundation. 3 people disappeared . The areas around Dewahi, Prempur Gonahi and Lalbakaiya river were more affected by the flood. The District Administration Office has informed that 30,000 households have been affected across the district due to the flood. 600,000 people were affected across the district.

He also came back saying that the settlement should be moved elsewhere and kept safe. It is the number 1 area of ​​Nepal's President and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar of United Samajwadi Party who has been doing politics for a long time. Ever since he was the prime minister, he has been saying that the machinery should be moved to a safer place as they are living under the flood-affected dams of Badharwa and Chandia. Ministers, parliamentarians and people from government agencies who reach Badharwa and Chandia are told of the pain of the locals struggling to save their lives from the rain.