Mukti Tole Families Get Safe Housing

Kanchanpur. The difficult situation of former Kamaiya families living in dilapidated कच्ची huts in Mukti Tole, Shuklaphanta Municipality-10 of the district, who had to spend sleepless nights catching water dripping from their roofs during the rainy season and lived in fear of storms and venomous creatures, is about to change. The dream of living in a safe house for families who have been suffering from unsafe living for years is coming true with the rapid construction of safe concrete houses in this impoverished settlement with the joint investment of the ward office, the Sudurpashchim Provincial Government, and the Connect project.

“We lived in hardship in कच्ची houses for years, the roof used to leak during the rainy season, and we had to stay awake all night catching water,” said Gujeshwori Wadai of Mukti Tole, recalling the past pain. “There was always a fear of snakes, scorpions, and other venomous creatures. There was also the fear of fire. Many people in the village built concrete houses, but due to poverty, we could not build houses. For us, who have been supporting our families by working as laborers, the idea of safe housing seemed like a dream, but now that dream is slowly coming true.”

Local Kalpana Chaudhary also narrated the difficulties of living in a कच्ची house. “It was very difficult to live in a small and dilapidated house with my family. Water used to enter the house when it rained, and we had to live in fear all night when windstorms occurred. Now that safe concrete houses are being built, the hope of living with peace of mind has been awakened,” she said.

About three hundred families live in Mukti Tole, where the former Kamaiya community is predominant. Fifteen safe concrete houses are being constructed for these families who have been facing the problem of poverty and unsafe living for years. These houses, being built in the same design, have two rooms, a kitchen, and a toilet. The construction work is 80 percent complete.

Ward office engineer Lokendra Bhatt informed that the houses are being constructed with the joint investment of the ward office, Sudurpashchim Provincial Government, Connect project, and the consumers. According to him, under financial partnership, each house is being constructed at a cost of Rs 732,000 with the ward office contributing Rs 145,000, the provincial government Rs 305,000, the Connect project Rs 120,000, and the consumers Rs 162,000. Engineer Bhatt said that about 75 percent of the housing construction work has been completed so far.

Ward Chairman Lal Bahadur Air said that a long-term plan is being implemented to develop Mukti Tole as an organized and model village. “We are working with the goal of providing safe housing to families who have been living in risky कच्ची houses for years,” said Ward Chairman Air. “We have a policy of gradually building concrete houses for all the remaining families by managing the budget every year.”