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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Flood-hit evacuees from Kirtipur holding centre fear children’s education

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Dozens of landless families displaced by floods in Kirtipur, Nepal, have been moved to temporary shelters in Bhaktapur.
  • Parents are concerned that the relocation will disrupt their children's education, especially with exams approaching.
  • Officials have promised transport and permanent settlement, but families remain anxious about the government keeping its word.

Floodwaters forced dozens of landless families from their Kirtipur holding center to temporary shelters in Bhaktapur, Nepal, sparking new anxieties about their children's education. The sudden relocation occurred after floodwaters inundated the Radha Swami Satsang holding center on Saturday, compelling residents to evacuate with minimal time to salvage belongings.

Authorities transferred families to government-run centers in Kharipati and Bode, with transportation continuing late into Saturday night. Anand Singh Bhat, chairman of the High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation, reported that 77 people were moved to Kharipati and 60 to Bode by Sunday morning. Some families have found their own accommodations, with one renting a room in Kirtipur and others staying with relatives.

They have made these commitments, but we do not know whether they will keep their word.

— HirahariA displaced father expressing his anxiety about the government's promises regarding his grandchildren's education and permanent settlement.

For many, the primary concern is not lost possessions but the schooling of their children. Hirahari, now at the Bode center, worries about his grandchildren's commute to Bishwaniketan School in Thapathali, as no transport is available from the new location. Similarly, Menuka Gurung, who arrived at Kharipati with her grandchildren, fears their studies will be affected as their examinations approach. Their previous commute involved a bus from Balkhu to Guhyeshwori Secondary School in Shantinagar.

Government officials, including the Home Minister and Education Minister, visited the shelters on Sunday and assured families that transport arrangements would be made to ensure children could attend their existing schools. The Minister for Land Management also reiterated the government's commitment to providing permanent land ownership certificates, a promise that offers a glimmer of hope for a stable future.

My grandchildren used to take a bus from Balkhu to Guhyeshwori Secondary School in Shantinagar. Their examinations are approaching, and I fear this relocation will affect their studies.

— Menuka GurungAn elderly woman displaced by the floods sharing her concerns about her grandchildren's schooling.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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