As monsoon season nears, the residents of Ward 12, Panauti Municipality, fear what destruction the River Roshi might bring. “The rains will arrive soon, and we don’t know where we should go,” said Roma Gurung, a resident. “Last time I ran with my husband and two children. We climbed a hill and watched our house being destroyed by a flood. I do not know if I have the strength and courage to endure that again.”  

Earlier, on September 26, 2024, the settlements around Roshi River suffered massive destruction due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall.  The floods and landslides that claimed the lives of 32 people in Panauti Municipality and Roshi Rural Municipality also caused huge destruction to homes, livestock, and livelihoods. Ward 12 of Panauti Municipality alone suffered the loss of five people, with 187 houses destroyed. 

This catastrophe has deeply shaken the residents of Panauti, as some have lost family members in this disaster, while others have become homeless. “If I were alone, I would have stayed home and let the flood and landslide take me away,” said Jamuna Bishwakarma, a resident of Ward 12, Panauti Municipality. “But I ran for my family and my 10-day-old granddaughter.” 

Similarly, Sangita Pariyar was seen pleading with the Ward-12 chairman for a sewing machine. “A machine would help me earn a living. I could repay my loan and pay for the school admission of my children,” she said. Pariyar and her husband had been running a tailor shop in Ward 12, Panauti Municipality. They had a decent income and were planning to expand their business. However, the flood washed away everything- the shop, sewing machines, cash saved for Dashain, new clothes for sale, and some crucial documents.