Years without shelter: Homeless families struggle to survive in Kailali forests

Kailali: Nawal Singh Gharti and his family have been living in a tent in the forest near Baluwagada, Chure Rural Municipality-4, Kailali, for the past three years.

Another resident living in the same area, Ratan Nath, is facing a similar hardship. Originally from Dadeldhura, Ratan went to India for employment after losing his parents at a young age. While he was abroad, he said his relatives arranged for the land that should have been registered in his name to be measured and registered in their own names. “My parents passed away when I was young, and I was abroad,” he said. “My relatives had all our land measured in their own name. When I returned, I didn’t even have land to stand on.”

A risky life under a tent
At present, more than 15 families are living in temporary tents in the Baluwagada area. In some households, only children remain at home, as their parents have gone to India in search of employment. Having lost their homes and forced to live in the forest, these families face severe hardships. Children, in particular, struggle to survive the cold winter while living in tents. According to local resident Kali Nath, rainwater leaks into the shelters during the monsoon, soaking food supplies and clothes.

“When it rains, the water gets inside the hut,” he said. “There is fear of scorpions and insects all night. Many times, I have been bitten by scorpions and had to run for treatment. But since there is nowhere else to go, we are forced to live with the risk of death.”

Making a living by crushing gravel
Women living in the area spend their days working along the sandy riverbanks, collecting gravel as their primary source of income. “My children are taking their exams now,” said local resident Budisara Sinjali. “We plan to pay the exam fees with the money we earn from selling gravel.” Like Budisara, many other women rely on this work to support their families.

The gravel, sold at Rs 1,500 per cubic meter, is the main source of household income. This situation is not limited to Baluwagada alone, as homeless families are living in similar conditions in various parts of the Chure region.

Chandra Bahadur Lamichhane Magar, Ward Chair of Chure Rural Municipality-4, said that the affected families are compelled to remain in their current locations due to the lack of alternative accommodation. According to him, 116 families displaced by floods in 2077 BS and other causes are temporarily living in areas such as Panerugada, Tankagada and Baluwagada in Chure-4, as well as Khamahale and Khanidanda in Chure-1.

He explained that initially around 700 families claimed to be homeless and were living in forest areas. However, an investigation by the rural municipality found that only 116 families were completely homeless. In 2079 BS, the forest office removed them, stating that they had encroached on forest land. According to the municipality’s investigation, the genuine victims are currently living in forest areas under temporary shelters.