Construction of temporary housing for flood survivors of Helambu Rural Municipality in Sindhupalchowk district has begun.
Popular Television program, Indreni, has taken up the responsibility for the construction of temporary housing for 17 flood-affected families of Helambu.
The Chairperson of Indreni, Krishna Kandel, informed that Helambu Rural Municipality and Indreni had signed a memorandum of understanding and taken the responsibility of constructing makeshift houses for the flood survivors of Halde and Limbu of Helambu Rural Municipality.
The estimated construction cost of a temporary house with two rooms, a kitchen, toilet and a tap is Rs 366,000.
Kandel handed over cash Rs 6.2 million to Helambu Rural Municipality’s Chairperson Neema Gyaljen Sherpa to advance the construction of temporary residence.
On the occasion, chairperson Sherpa extended his thanks to the Indreni Program for the generous support and also made a commitment to shift the flood-hit households to the new structures before Dashain festival.
He also shared the information that the construction of 60 houses, including 40 with funding from HELVETAS Nepal and 20 from CARE Nepal, had already begun.
According to the data released by the Rural Municipality, the floods and landslides had displaced a total of 107 houses and completely damaged 90 houses.
“We will initiate constructing permanent housing for the survivors after the government-pledged amount of Rs 500,000 each is received,” Sherpa said.
Different INGOs, including CARE Nepal are also providing support for the construction of houses in Melamchi Municipality.
Similarly, a team led by former-secretary of Nepal government Suman Prasad Sharma provided Rs 1.2 million to the flood and landslide-hit local levels, including Helambu and Panchpokhari Thangpal rural municipalities and Melamchi municipality in Sindhupalchowk on Monday.
The team handed over Rs 300,000 each to Melamchi municipality and Panchpokhari rural municipality, and Rs 600,000 to Helambu municipality, according to the Social Development Expert of Melamchi Drinking Water Development Committee.
The aid amount was handed over to Melamchi Municipality Mayor Dambar Kunwar.
Likewise, the assistance amount was handed over to Panch Pokhari Thangpal Rural Municipality’s Chair Tasi Lama on Tuesday.
The team also handed over a cash of Rs 600,000 to Helambu rural municipality Chairperson Sherpa on Monday.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 houses of Saptakoshi Municipality-4 in Rajbiraj were submerged by water overflowing from the Chandra Canal on Tuesday.
Incessant rains of two days caused the seven streams that flow into the canal to flood. The flood knocked down the embankments of the canal in two places and entered nearby settlements, informed local resident Khagendra Karki.
According to Saptakoshi Mayor Uttam Kumar Sharma, almost 300 houses in wards 1, 2, 4 and 11 have been inundated.
“The houses are under two to three feet of water,” he said, stating that further details were being collected.
The Chandra Canal is the first irrigation canal project in the country established by Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana.
