Kailali's Tikapur Ward No. 1 21 people from Samitipur and Bipadpur went to work in the tunnel of the electricity project. Tularam Chaudhary of the village took them to work on the project. After the flood in Bhotekoshi on 10th August, they have lost contact. When the families of those who have no contact are not in a position to search for their relatives, they collect money and send it to the "Bhalwansa" of the village.

In the Tharu community, the leader elected for the whole year in each village-toll is called Bhalwansa or Badghar.

The families of 21 people who have no contact have collected money at the rate of two thousand each and sent it to Akhil Tharu, Bhalwansa of the village. Relatives of the uncontacted have said that the family of 21 members raised money and sent it to Bhalwansa in terms of Damasahi because the financial condition of the family is weak and there is no one in the family who knows.

"We, the family of 21 people who have no contact, raised two thousand each and collected 42 thousand and sent it to Bhalwansa of the village for search," Tikapur Ward no. 1 Lahana Chaudhary, resident of Samitipur said.

She said that the families of 16 people from Samitipur and five from Bipadpur who had no contact sent Bhalwansa with a request to search for their relatives. Lahana's husband Man Bahadur Chaudhary is also out of touch.

At the request of relatives, on the fourth day of the flood, on August 13, Bhalwansa Tharu went to Nuwakot to search for 21 workers. She said that even now she is still there looking for the uncontacted.

Bhalwansa, who went in search of 21 uncontacted people, did not find any trace of them there. Relatives of people who have lost contact have gone to the municipality and appealed to the mayor. They say that we went to the municipality twice and even called the Nepali Army officer in Nuwakot through the mayor to inquire about the relatives who have no contact, but no trace was found.

Although it has been 15 days since the flood in Bhotekoshi, the relatives of these 21 people who worked inside the tunnel are still hoping to be rescued alive.

Lahana Chowdhury said, "Since I was pulled out alive from inside the tunnel, my husband is also alive inside the tunnel."

They said that no one from the government has come to inquire and give any information to the families of relatives who have no contact.

She said that only the Ward president came and the work is being done, don't panic.

"The head of the ward came to the village and told them not to panic, the work is being done and rescue will be done," she said.

She says that she has lost her appetite and sleep since the day her husband became uncontactable. "As the days go by, the worry is increasing," she said.

After rescuing three people alive, hope has been awakened in the relatives of the uncontacted people working inside the tunnel. He complains that the government delayed the rescue.

The relatives of the workers inside the tunnel have requested the government to rescue them quickly.

It has been 15 days since the flood on August 10. "There is no emergency yet," she said, "the government had to rescue them quickly."

Last June, her husband Man Bahadur Chaudhary went to work. She said that her husband used to work in tunnel number 216 of Upper Trishuli-1, where three people were rescued alive. She said that on the morning of August 10, her husband talked to her and her daughter on Messenger.

As they eat inside the tunnel, the families of the uncontacted people hope that they are still alive.

"I think my husband is still alive," said Tikapur municipality ward no. Tulsi Chaudhary, wife of Antaram Chaudhary, who is not in contact with 1, said, "The more the government delays, the more hope will die."

She says that she hopes that her husband is also alive as he was rescued alive from the tunnel.

She said that there is hope that her husband will return home alive if the government rescues him quickly. Last May, her husband went to work from home.

She said that there was a phone conversation on the evening of August 9, the day before the flood. She said that she asked about her old mother who was ill at home.

They said that Tularam Chaudhary of Tikapur took 21 people from here to work on the electricity project. Tularam, which is looking for workers, has not been affected by the flood.

"If the government rescues them quickly, there is hope that those inside the tunnel will return home alive," she said.

A team of Nepali Army, Armed Police, Nepal Police and technicians pulled out two people alive from the tunnel of Upper Trishuli-3 'A' hydropower project last Friday morning and one person from the tunnel of Upper Trishuli-1 on Saturday.

Published: 24 Bhadra 2083 19:31 Wednesday