The small settlement on the bank of Maikhola in Ilam Municipality-10, Rajduwali was in deep sleep that night. No one could have imagined that the river flowing peacefully nearby would suddenly overflow and wash away the settlement. But in a moment the entire settlement was swept away by the flood. The flood that occurred last Saturday night completely washed away all 35 houses of Rajduwali settlement.

Rajduwali's Kanchan Meche still trembles when she remembers that night on October 18. His family was saved from the flood of Mykhola, which was thundering with a strange sound. "I heard a strange noise outside around 12:30 at night," Kanchan remembers, "When I went out to see what was going on, the flood had already reached the house.

According to Elam's leader Dharma Gautam, before 2007, a river used to flow in the current Rajduwali. The name of this area came to be 'Rajduwali' due to the fact that the then chieftain Rajashamsher diverted the bank of the river and formed Duwali. After the river changed its course, the place remained like an island for a long time. However, after the 2050s, Gautham says, settlements have gradually started to settle here. Settlements continued to expand due to labor communities making a living by crushing gravel. "Earlier there were few families, little by little it became a small village," says Gautam, "but now when the Maikhola returns to its old course, everything has been swept away." Lakpa Sherpa, a victim of the Maikhola flood, said worriedly, "We could not take anything." "We never thought that such a disaster would happen." Garjman Magar, who has been living in this settlement for the past 15 years, said that this was the first time he had experienced such a disaster. His neighbor Amit Rumdali Rai is suffering the same. Preparations for the wedding were still going on in his house. On the occasion of Dasain, Rai, who was busy preparing for the wedding, said, 'That night, the house was swept away by the flood, we ran to the forest to save our lives.' Neighbors kept calling him, but he was fast asleep but he didn't wake up, but he found out when he knocked on the door. "If the neighbor had not knocked on the door, he would have died," says Rai. Even Dukpa Vishwakarma of Rajduwali could not retrieve anything from his house before it was swept away by the flood. "Lucky life was saved," said Vishwakarma, "If the villagers had not rescued him, he would have died." 

According to Ward President Dilip Pradhan, 35 houses including Dipen Rai, Dhanpati Dulal, Dukpa Vishwakarma, Padam Rai, Dhanraj Subwa, Sukre Tamang, Taramani Darzi, Dawa Sherpa, Suresh Gurung, Himal Meche, Tara Thapa, Amrit Rai, Dumbar Rai, Yam Bahadur Baraili, Jung Bahadur Nepali, Amber Tamang, Meen Bahadur Thapa, Vinod Panchkoti, Hemraj Damai etc. Washed away in the flood of Maikhola.

The flood victims are currently taking shelter in neighbors, relatives and schools, public buildings. Some are making a living by hanging the tripal provided by the ward office. "The food has been arranged by the ward office," Vishwakarma said, "The government has not provided any relief yet." Due to the winter, children and the elderly have been more affected. They are forced to spend the cold night in one piece of clothing. "I was sick, it got worse when I left the house," said Junia Meche, a heart patient. 

The disaster repeated after 57 years

According to the leader of Elam, Gautam, Elam faced a similar natural disaster around 2025. At that time too, many houses were swept away when the river overflowed. Floods and landslides that year not only occurred in Eelam but also in Darjeeling and Sikkim in India. "This time, 39 people died in Eelam, 20 people died in Darjeeling," says Gautam, "Even at that time, hundreds died. A lot of material property was damaged. Gautam added about the same nature of the flood after 57 years, "History has repeated itself." 

39 dead, highway washed away 

39 people have died in Ilam due to landslides. According to District Police Office Ilam, 5 people died in Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam, 7 in Ilam Municipality, 7 in Sandakpur Rural Municipality, 3 in Mangsebung Rural Municipality, 8 in Mai Jogmai Rural Municipality, 8 in Deumai Municipality, 1 in Phakphokthum Rural Municipality. 

Many parts of the Mechi highway have been washed away by landslides. According to the police, the flood has damaged the Beili Bridge of Maikhola in Ilam. The flood has also damaged the concrete bridge of the Kanchenjunga Kechna road, which is being used as an alternative to the Mechi highway. Similarly, landslides occurred at dozens of places in the interior roads of Ilam and Panchthar.

The road across Maikhola in Elam has also been buried by landslides. Because of this, common people are having a difficult journey. They are going to their destination using an alternative route made by the security personnel. According to Chief District Officer Sunita Nepal, the highway connecting Mechi Highway from Banchre Golai to Biblate to Nepaltar has been completely destroyed. Prazia Nepal said that the work is being done at a fast pace to repair and put the highway into operation. "We are trying to restore the highway," she said. 

Relief by the state government

The Koshi state government has distributed relief to the landslide victims of Ilam through a helicopter. Ram Prasad Acharya, Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, informed that materials including mattresses, blankets, pillows, rice, pulses, potatoes, oil, salt and spices were distributed to 26 families of Ilam municipality-10 and 13 families of Mangsebung on Tuesday. The relief materials brought by helicopter have been distributed in two municipalities, while preparations are being made to send more relief to other areas of Ilam and Jhapa. Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki himself reached the affected area with relief.  

According to Prazia Nepal, MP Suhang Nemwang also provided relief including beds and food to the flood victims of Maikhola. Similarly, Indreni Group has provided relief of 10/10 thousand to 5 dead families of Elam. The district administration has called for relief through social media. Prazia Nepal said, "Our goal is to provide relief according to the one-door system."