Bal Bahadur Darji of Ishma Rural Municipality-4, Kotkotari, hoped to be back in his own home before the monsoon arrived. However, even after five months, he has had to stay with his neighbors. He had anticipated that his house would be rebuilt by the end of June after it was destroyed by a fire in April. Unfortunately, the construction did not even begin by June, and during the festival, he was still staying in someone else’s house. Last April, ten houses in Ishma Rural Municipality-4 were completely destroyed when a forest fire spread into the settlement. The local government had announced an immediate house construction package for those affected. However, Ward Chairperson Raju Basnet of Ishma Rural Municipality-4 reported that the construction is being delayed due to the non-payment of funds as agreed upon by the provincial and federal governments. He mentioned that they had set a deadline to install the windows until mid-July,and agreed to provide Rs 100,000 to the beneficiaries, but issues arose when 30% of the provincial budget and 60% of the federal budget were not released.
Two people from Ishma Rural Municipality-4 received Rs 100,000 each, while seven others received only Rs 50,000 each. Similarly, Chandra Bahadur Kunwar of Ishma Rural Municipality-1, Hastichour, experienced significant losses when his house was burned down. The fire also destroyed his mill and nine goats, which were crucial to his livelihood. Kunwar became distressed as the fire not only destroyed his house, built at a cost of Rs 14,00,000, but also damaged his son’s recently married property, including valuable jewels.
The Chief District Officer and a representative from the disaster authority assured that the house would be completed before the rainy season. However, the construction is still unfinished. The forest fire that entered the settlement last April destroyed the homes of 16 families in Ishma Rural Municipality-2, Hastichour Sidungkha. Loknath Acharya, Ward Chairperson of Ishma Rural Municipality-2, stated that while families may take loans and begin construction with local funds, those with limited financial resources must wait for money from the provincial government. He emphasized that if the federal and provincial budgets are not received promptly, more work could be accomplished at the local level to address the situation of the fire victims. Krishna Prasad Sharma, Coordinator of the District Level Disaster Management Committee and Chief District Officer, stated that delays in receiving funds from the federal and provincial governments due to the monsoon disaster have caused issues in coordinating with and understanding the needs of the victims. He mentioned that they are awaiting the budget while working to highlight the issue of the victims at the central and provincial levels. Sharma expressed his frustration that they have not been able to address the needs of Ishma Rural Municipality, the most affected area.
According to Article 37 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015, which guarantees the right to appropriate housing, no citizen shall be evicted from their property or face encroachment, except in accordance with the law. However, due to delays in house construction caused by the non-payment of funds as per the agreement, the fire victims of Ishma Rural Municipality have been deprived of their right to housing.