Monsoon Brings Pain by Padam Bhatta
Padam Bhatta/photo.circle
Asharam Chaudhary, 40, of Bhajani, Kailali used to have a house he shared with his family of four but the floods came five days ago and inundated his house. Now he and his family live under a tarpaulin on the side of the highway.
Two thousand families have been displaced and more than 100 houses have been submerged due to recent flooding in Bhajani and Joshipur as monsoon rains increased the Kandra, Kada, and Patharaiya rivers. “Our crops, our food, our clothes, our homes, everything is destroyed by the floods,” says Chaudhary, “The government knows this area is vulnerable to floods and erosions but does not prepare early, they arrive when the damage is already done.”
His family is safe for now, as they and 10,000 others from Bhajani have been moved to higher ground by the highway, but living under a makeshift shelter is not a life Chaudhary wants for his family. “It rains all night, I can’t sleep, my kids can’t sleep, how long can we do this, when can we go?” asks Chaudhary.
Text and Photos: Padam Bhatta @padambhatta255
Copy edit: Nisha Rai @nishastoryteller
Edit: Mallika Aryal @mikaness