Two decades since peace accord, wartime IEDs still haunt villagers

Even two decades after the Comprehensive Peace Accord formally ended the devastating Maoist insurgency, the scars of war continue to haunt ordinary Nepalis. The discovery of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in settlements, farmlands, and even school grounds serves as a grim reminder that the conflict's physical dangers have not entirely receded. For survivors like Bhagwati Gautam, who lost a leg to a bomb blast in 2002, the fear remains palpable, a constant shadow cast by the wartime traps laid by combatants but suffered by innocent civilians.

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When I woke up, I was lying on a bed at the TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj. The bomb had blown off one of my legs, and shrapnel pierced my body.

The tragic deaths of two young children in Panchthar district last September, victims of a backyard explosion, underscore the enduring threat. These are not isolated incidents; across war-affected districts, bombs, grenades, and socket bombs continue to surface during everyday activities like construction and excavation. The Nepali Army's bomb disposal teams regularly neutralize these dangerous relics, but the sheer number of discoveries suggests that many more remain buried, particularly in remote and former conflict zones.

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I was just walking on a path. Those involved in the war planted traps against each other, but ordinary people like us suffered the consequences.

While international coverage might focus on the political reconciliation following the insurgency, the reality on the ground for many Nepalis is the persistent, tangible danger posed by these hidden explosives. The anxiety is real, a lingering consequence of a conflict that, despite its formal end, continues to claim victims. This ongoing threat is a stark illustration of how the physical remnants of war can impede normalcy and security for years, even decades, after the fighting stops. For publications like The Kathmandu Post, reporting on these discoveries is crucial to remind the public and authorities of this unresolved legacy.

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Even today, she says, news of bombs being found anywhere in the country frightens her.