Raju Chhetri of Suryodaya Municipality-1 Manebhanjyang planned to go trekking with the tourists who came to visit Sandakpur after celebrating Dasain. There was Christmas cheer in the house. The house was lit up by the arrival of guests. However, within a few hours, that excitement faded with the landslide. But when Raju went up to Sandakpur on Saturday morning, an avalanche of destruction descended on the house that night.

The landslide that came after the heavy rain on Saturday night washed away not only his house, but his whole world. Mother Manmaya and 10-year-old daughter Rasmika also buried themselves with the soil. Now neither Raju's house is left nor the smiles of mother and daughter.

His relative Deep Basnet, his wife Bhawani Basnet, 55-year-old mother Manmaya and daughter Rasmika, along with their daughter Deepa, who came from Dolakha to celebrate Dasain, were lost in the landslide. Wife Meera and 5-year-old daughter Resika were sleeping in another room that night, so they managed to save their lives. It is not possible to live in a house buried by landslides. So Raju is now doing mother and daughter chores at the community hall near the local police office. His tears are not yet dry. 

This settlement bordering India's Darjeeling is now like an island. The road to get around has been swept away by landslides. "Now the only way to get there is the Sukepokhari road in India," said Surendra Dotel, Deputy Inspector of the Armed Police Force Manevnjang BOP, "All the roads leading to here have been cut off, the access to Nepal is now blocked." Landslide victims of Manevnjang are waiting for the government. Five people were killed when the house of Dambar Bahadur Tamang of Ilam Municipality-6 Ghos was destroyed by a landslide. Anu Tamang and her 3-year-old son Abhas Danuwar, who came to Maiti from Jhapa to celebrate Dasain, were also buried in the landslide. Pravin Tamang, Sameer Rai and Viraj Tamang have been cremated along with them. 

The Tamang family spent three days staying with relatives near home. Prakash Tamang, a relative, said that according to religious tradition, the rest of the rites are done at the funeral home. He said that for this purpose, the landslide removal and cleaning of the buried house is going on. Kathmandu's Indreni Group provided cash relief of 10/10,000 to the five deceased families on Tuesday. But they complain that they have not received any relief from the government level.

Floods and landslides have not only swept away houses, land and roads, but have disrupted people's lives in Elam. Ilam is now in a state of semi-blockade as Mechi highway and alternative roads are blocked due to landslides. According to local businessmen, the lack of food, gas and essential materials in the market has started. 

Many sections of the Mechi highway have been washed away by landslides, and transport links with Elam and Terai have been cut off. Even on the damaged alternative road Kanchenjunga-Kechna and Nepaltar-Biblate section, the vehicle has not arrived for five days. The shortage of essential items such as rice, salt, oil, petrol, gas has started," said a trader in Ilam market. 

The chief district officer of Elam, Sunita Nepal, said that it is difficult to deliver relief including food to the remote settlements affected by landslides due to lack of roads. "We are sending relief to some villages through helicopters, but it is difficult to reach all places," she said. Chief District Officer Nepal said that there is a shortage of gas even though there are food and other items in the market. 

'There are no cylinders at the gas depot. People's life has become more difficult due to shortage of petrol and diesel. Private vehicles are at a standstill, the ambulance service has also been affected,' she said, 'There is a plan to facilitate the supply by bringing the road into operation as soon as possible.' The calamity has not only taken away their homes, but also their reliable source of livelihood. The house of Lakpa Sherpa, who was raising his family by pounding gravel on the banks of the Mai river, was swept away by the flood. The floods took away jobs along with houses. I don't know what to do for a living now,' he said. 

Both the house and farm of Garjman Magar, who was making a living by farming, were washed away. He laments, 'Now the way to get food is closed, how can we live now?' The workers, who are mainly stone crushers, laborers and daily wage earners, have now become homeless and jobless. In Rajduwali, Mangsebung, Sandakpur, Myjogmai and other areas, the lives of the people who earn their living from daily toil are completely in crisis. After the disaster, their common concern is, 'How to feed the stomach? Where to spend the night?'

276 families displaced, 39 people died

The district administration of Ilam has informed that there has been a huge human and material loss in the Ilam district due to the landslide. There are preliminary reports that 276 families have been displaced. 132 houses were completely damaged while 401 houses were partially damaged. It has been confirmed that 39 people have died in the disaster. 37 people were buried in the landslide and 2 people were swept away by the flood. 

Assistant Chief District Officer Bholanath Guragai says that all municipalities in the district are collecting details of the damage. He said that it will take a few more days to get the details. "This is an incomplete description from the phone," Guragain said, "Detailed details will come soon." Due to the flood, not only houses and farms, but also roads, bridges, schools and drinking water structures have been damaged. The administration has estimated the loss of crores.' 

Police, Armed Police and Nepali Army are continuing rescue and relief operations. IDPs in affected areas are sheltered in neighborhoods, relatives and schools and public buildings. The local municipality is distributing tripal and food.

Rapid distribution of relief by the state government

The Koshi state government has continued to rapidly send relief materials to the families affected by the recent floods. The province, which sent relief through a helicopter on Tuesday, sent more than three truckloads of supplies to Maijogmai, Mai and Ilam municipalities on Wednesday. With the province  Revathiraman Bhandari, Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of the province, said that all the relief materials with

s have been immediately sent to the affected areas. He said that the family of the deceased will be provided financial support of 1 lakh per family. 

The provincial government has decided to rebuild all the houses in Ilam, Jhapa and Morang that were destroyed and swept away by the flood. The decision was taken by the Provincial Disaster Management Council chaired by Chief Minister Karki. The meeting also decided to recommend the federal government to declare seven municipalities of Elam as crisis zones.