Ramche landslide puts 42 households in Hupsekot at high risk

By Our Correspondent, Nawalpur, July 24: A landslide at Ramche, located at the headwaters of the Kerunge Stream in Hupsekot Rural Municipality of Nawalpur, has placed 42 households at severe risk, according to the District Disaster Management Committee.

Following an on-site inspection on Wednesday, the committee concluded that all 42 households in the settlement face a high risk from the landslide. It recommended both immediate and long-term measures, including relocating the settlement to a safer location.

After the inspection, Chief District Officer Jagadishwor Upadhyay said the immediate priority was to protect lives, while long-term efforts should focus on landslide mitigation and permanent resettlement. 

Upadhyay said coordination would be carried out among the federal, provincial and local governments to implement the necessary measures.

He warned that the landslide has been expanding every year and stressed that residents' lives could not be guaranteed unless they were relocated to an integrated model settlement.

Residents say they have lived in constant fear since continuous landslides began in the area in the monsoon of 1981. With the hillside continuing to erode throughout the year, many fear the entire slope could eventually collapse.

"The landslide continues throughout both the dry and rainy seasons. Now that heavy rain has persisted, it has reached close to our settlement, making the risk even greater," said local resident Lil Bahadur Pulami. "The moment we see dark clouds in the sky, we fear the entire village could be swept away. We cannot even sleep at night."

Another resident, Aash Bahadur Chitaure Magar, said that although people were initially reluctant to leave the place where their families had lived for generations, the increasing danger had convinced them that they would relocate if the government provided a permanent solution.

"We do not want a temporary arrangement. We need a long-term solution," he said.

Fresh cracks appeared in the ground and sections of land subsided on Tuesday night, further intensifying fears among residents.

Police and local administration officials visited Ramche that night and urged residents to move to safer locations immediately. However, locals refused to leave temporarily, saying they could not abandon their homes without a permanent resettlement plan.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Birendra Raj Khanal of Rudrapur Police Post said that despite repeated counselling, residents insisted they would not relocate unless the state ensured a permanent alternative.

"They told us they could not leave the land, farms and livestock they have depended on for generations," Khanal said, quoting local residents. "They said the government must first provide a suitable alternative."

The District Security Committee conducted Wednesday's field visit after residents refused to relocate despite the severe risk. Following the inspection, Chief District Officer Upadhyay said the threat was increasing day by day.

Many families who were financially able have already left the village and settled elsewhere. Hupsekot Rural Municipality has previously relocated 18 families to an integrated settlement at Jungepani. However, Ward Chair Padam Bahadur Rana Magar of Hupsekot-5 said many low-income families continue to risk their lives because they cannot afford to move.

He said residents could be temporarily accommodated at the ward office and a nearby school. However, 68-year-old local resident Dil Bahadur Sinjali Magar said the school grounds and classrooms had also developed cracks, making them unsafe.

"It is now up to the state to decide where we will be permanently resettled," he said.

A geological study conducted in 2021 identified Ramche as a high-risk zone and advised against continued settlement there. However, the community has yet to be relocated.

Hupsekot Rural Municipality Chair Laxmi Pandey said controlling the Ramche landslide was beyond the Municipality's capacity.

"We have been raising this issue for years, but addressing it is beyond our means," Pandey said. "The federal government should invest in landslide control using technology similar to that employed at Krishna Bhir."

District headquarters also at risk

Local officials have warned that the Ramche landslide also poses a threat to the district headquarters, Kawasoti.

"No effective measures have been taken to control the landslide. It threatens not only Hupsekot but also Kawasoti," said Ward Chair Padam Bahadur Rana Magar. "We must work together to compel the federal government to act."

Rural Municipality Chair Pandey echoed the concern, saying the landslide has repeatedly intensified the flow of the Kerunge Stream.

"We have seen the destructive force of the stream many times because of the Ramche landslide. Floodwaters have even reached the District Police Office in Kawasoti," Pandey said. "If Kawasoti is to be protected, the Ramche landslide must be properly managed. Otherwise, it could cause extensive damage across Nawalpur."

Pandey added that geological studies have also identified the upper settlements of Rudrapur, Baghkhor and Pipaldanda as being at risk. She said the local government has repeatedly appealed to the federal government to take urgent action to mitigate the hazard.