Deluge and after

The marginalised population should not be left behind while providing flood victims with relief.

Like each year, the monsoon has shown its raudra avatar yet again. As highlands across the country face gigantic landslides, lowlands continue to be submerged under water. As the Saptakoshi River eroded the western embankment, settlements in Belaka Municipality in Udayapur and Barahachhetra Municipality in Sunsari have come under the deluge, displacing over 2,500 families . Settlements in Udayapur, Saptari and Sunsari risk further inundation as the Saptakoshi has altered its course after 34 years. The three tiers of government have come together to shift the affected citizens to safer locations. Rescuing the citizens, though, is just the beginning; relief and rehabilitation efforts are going to be an uphill task.