Flood survivors face muted Dashain amid missing relatives

While Dashain preparations traditionally involve shopping, cleaning residences, welcoming relatives and gathering with family, affected villages remain gripped by memories of missing relatives. Survivors of recent flooding along the Bhotekoshi noted that festive reunions now serve as painful reminders for households that lost loved ones. Survivor Niraj recounted the fear of that day, remarking that any personal relief over surviving is overshadowed by sorrow over more than 30 people being carried away by floodwaters, including his companion Sagar. Fellow survivors Rabindra Devkota, Tularam Devkota, Baburam Devkota and Parbati Neupane similarly expressed lingering distress when recalling the disaster. Grieving families also reported obstacles in accessing financial relief declared by the Gandaki Province government. The main barrier remains paperwork, as households lack formal death registration certificates and legal missing-person documentation necessary to receive the official assistance.