Kathmandu, September 6
The government has formed a committee to identify land for the resettlement of people displaced or left at risk by the devastating flood that swept through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers on August 26.
The 13-member committee, led by Survey Department Director General Prakash Joshi, has been tasked with finding suitable land to relocate settlements affected by the flood.
The committee includes officials from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, the Department of Land Management and Archives, and the Survey Department, along with representatives from the affected districts.
District-level members include district coordination officers, assistant chief district officers, deputy superintendents of police, chief administrative officers of the concerned local governments, deputy superintendents of the Armed Police Force, and chiefs of the respective land administration and survey offices.
Identifying families requiring relocation
The committee will first establish the number of people whose homes have been destroyed or who are living in areas considered unsafe.
It will also determine whether families who have become homeless have land or houses elsewhere. Based on this information, the committee will coordinate with local governments and the land administration and survey offices in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading to identify potential sites for resettlement.
The committee has already begun coordination with local governments and district-level land and survey offices.
“We have already started coordinating with the land and survey offices and local governments in the concerned districts,” a committee member said.
According to the member, officials are currently collecting details on the number of houses damaged in each ward and determining how many houses and settlements need to be relocated.
Land to be assessed for disaster risk
After determining the number of families requiring relocation, the committee will search for suitable land and assess whether the proposed sites are exposed to disaster risks.
Only land considered suitable and safe for settlement will be considered for resettlement. The government will then begin the necessary legal process to facilitate the transfer or allocation of land to the affected families.
The committee will submit a report to the ministry containing data on families requiring relocation and recommendations on suitable locations for resettlement.
The August 26 flood caused extensive loss of life and property along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. Search and rescue operations for those still missing are continuing.
