He fears that this year landslide might kill him and his family members and does not see any easy escape from it. Memories of similar dreadful events from the past continuously torment him - day and night. "All the horrible scenes constantly come to my mind. They are horrifying," Upadhyay said referring to his multiple experiences of the tyranny of landslides.
In his childhood dozens of houses, cattle and villagers were swept away by a landslide. "The 1951 landslide had swept away houses, cowsheds, cattle, and many of the villagers. Lost everything to the landslide, we were forced into finding a new shelter by the landslide," reminisced the old man. "The loss was terrible," he added.
But that was not all. Years later in 2011, Upadhyay witnessed another similar disaster. The landslide claimed dozens of cattle and other assets. Upadhyay alone lost 15 cattle including cow, buffalo and goat. "I lose my appetite and sleep as all that hovers over my mind. I do not know what's going to happen next. Anything could happen," he said in a fearful voice.
Around 27 houses in the locality including that of Updhayay are prone to landslides. Aware of such fact, these families migrate to low lands along with their cattle. However, as their belongings and other assets are all housed in the main house, it has been difficult for them to remain completely disconnected from it. They always remain on high alert, and still there is little they could do to save their house from any landslide in the future.
Adding to the landslide prone natural topography of the village, haphazard excavation of stones and mines on the upper part of their village has further worsened their fears. The excavation has weakened the soil and Updhaya feels that this has further aggravated their fears of losing their home.
"We always remain on high alert about the impending threat. With the monsoon approaching, you cannot be sure when the entire mountain would come down and crush the whole village," lamented Nain Bahadur Hamal, local from Upadhyay's village. He added that even the areas the locals shift to during monsoon are not safe. "Due to massive exploitation of sand and stones from the mountain, the topographical integrity of the mountain has been weakened and has made certain that the village will be sooner or later crushed by a landslide," he asserted.
Not only the village, a nearby school that was established in 1986 is also now under threat of the landslide. The villagers had planted trees around the school and though these trees have saved the school from earlier landslides, they fear that the institution might not survive another one. "Earlier landslides have washed away most of the trees around the school. Who knows when the entire school would disappear! We cannot sleep whole night when we hear thunder or lightening," said another local of Kudari village. "Cracks are visible in the soil. The hills are not strong as they were in the past," he added.
Local administration is not aware about it. No conservation efforts have been made so far. The village reports of landslides almost every monsoon. Small scale landslides are round the year occurrences, locals say. They have demanded their settlement be shifted to safer zone with the district administration, but this remains unheard, Upadhaya said.
Due to occasional landslides and flood, several areas in the district have been left barren. No farming have been done in most terraces of Kulapata, Edari, Tulapata, Gharpari, Bhandari, Jeula and Naulapani areas, among others. Locals state that their tradition farming of apple and other crops, which would sustain their families through the years have been hit hard. They have urged the government to pay attention to the matter and bring programs that could enable them to get back to way of life through modern efficient means.
Due to the reduction in arable land, Upadhaya claimed that domestic produce caters to around three months of family's food needs. Earlier the production would suffice for around ten months, he informed. "We are forced to buy everything from the market. But since the prices are very steep, it's becoming impossible for us to sustain," he said adding that landslides in the area have been frequent in the recent few decades.
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