Forty-thousand people displaced by Saptakosi floods
26 Aug 2008, 1352 Hrs

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Kathmandu, Aug 26 (ANI): Around 40,000 people have been displaced due to floods in Saptakosi River.

According to Nepal's Home Ministry, till now, 40,378 people of 7102 families have been displaced.

The Ministry has informed that 5500 hectares of land, 12 km of black-topped road and 13 km of seasonal road have been destroyed.

It has said that people of Haripir, Sripur Jabdi, Laukahi and Western Kusaha VDCs of Sunsari district have been fully displaced while those of Narsingh, Basantapur and Ghuski VDCs of the same district have been badly affected by the inundation.

The infrastructures of these VDCs including roads, schools, irrigation, drinking water system and local factories have been devastated.

The Ministry has said that the government is initiating efforts to repair the damage in Kosi embankments in coordination with Indian technicians.

On Monday, Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said that the Nepal government has started diplomatic talks with the India to control the wearing away of the embankments by the Saptakoshi River and to operate the blocked highway.

Responding to the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries regarding the fear of shutdown of over 500 industries in the Sunsari-Morang corridor, Gupta pointed out the need of a Bailey bridge for the operation of the highway.

Earlier President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said that the government is planning on providing separate settlements to the people displaced by the Saptakoshi River, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)