How Workers Were Drawn to the Rasuwa-Nuwakot Area Amid Disaster Risks and What Lies Ahead
Photo credit, Reuters
Hirdabahadur Pun from Jajarkot, who worked as a road laborer in Syafru-Bensi, Rasuwa for five years, says he feels ‘saved from a great catastrophe.’
On September 26, a devastating flood struck, but just before that, Pun and five friends had gone to charge their mobile phones at their camp.
He told the BBC, “As soon as we stepped outside the camp, there was a loud thunderous noise like a bomb. Without thinking, we climbed higher. Suddenly, the camp seemed to collapse beside us.”
He said there were about 75 workers in their area and added, “If we hadn’t climbed just 20 steps higher, the flood would have swept us away too. Of us, only six survived; the rest perished.”
The devastating flood caused extensive damage to water resources, tourism, road networks, and other sectors. The affected areas also lost housing and employment opportunities.
A Major Hub for Employment
Due to Nepal-China border trade, tourism, hydroelectric projects, and road construction, this area had been developing into a key employment hub.
Ram Hari Karki, president of the Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Trade Association, estimated that tens of thousands of people depended on employment at the border.
He stated, “One worker usually supports 8 to 10 dependents. From an employment perspective, about 5,000 to 7,000 people were directly working in the area.”
Photo credit, MFA China
Officials have reported significant damage to 12 hydroelectric projects and one solar energy project in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, the areas most affected by the disaster.
Some of these projects were operational, while others were under construction, employing Nepali, foreign, and Indian workers.
Authorities are continuing rescue operations as some workers may be trapped in tunnels and powerhouses of these hydroelectric projects.
Ganesh Karki, former president of the Independent Power Producers’ Association Nepal (IPPAN), said, “Highly skilled Nepali and foreign workers were working there. Losing such skilled manpower is a major loss and impossible to replace.”
Regions Marked by Persistent Disaster Risks
Photo credit, Nepal Army
Major natural disasters are not new to Rasuwa Gadhi and surrounding areas. Last year, an outburst flood from an ice lake caused a flood in the Lende River at the Nepal-China border, resulting in 18 deaths and losses exceeding 600 million rupees.
The epicenter of the powerful 2015 earthquake was in Sindhupalchok, which caused severe damage to Kodari border and nearby regions.
More than 9,000 people lost their lives across various districts and the capital region in that earthquake.
After the 2015 earthquake, Nepal-China trade gradually shifted toward the Rasuwa Gadhi border. Hundreds of cargo containers used to move daily through this trading point, with traders reporting about 200 containers lost to floods.
Labor expert Mina Paudel explained that shrinking nearby labor markets made employment opportunities in Rasuwa and surrounding areas an accessible option for many.
She said, “Political influence in Nepal has often overlooked labor markets. Consequently, when nearby labor markets contracted, people sought work wherever they could find it. The region had major national hydroelectric projects employing people from all across the country.”
In addition, Nepal-China import-export activities and proximity to agricultural production strengthened the labor market, she noted.
However, she added, “That situation is unlikely to return to how it was even a month ago. For those who lost relatives and workers, rebuilding confidence is very difficult. We can no longer encourage relatives to work in these hydroelectric projects, and I doubt that workers from other regions will come.”
Can the Labor Market Return to Its Former State?
Ganesh Karki, former president of IPPAN, said the recent disaster was not a typical flood and warned of increased risks if such disasters occur again.
He said, “This is an event that happens once in thousands of years. When planning new projects, safety standards must be stricter. Definite red zones must be declared. Economic losses from floods can be recovered, but it is impossible to restore lost technical manpower.”
Photo credit, EPA/Shutterstock
Business leaders emphasize that the government should act swiftly to restore the Nepal-China trade border, acknowledging that a massive natural disaster devastating the hillside was unimaginable.
Ram Hari Karki stated, “If the state facilitates smooth transportation at Rasuwa border, labor and business activities will return to previous levels.”
He added, “Our geography is similar to China’s. These border posts can operate year-round. If we don’t maintain the roads for the next 20 years, they will deteriorate. Now, we need to build our own roads or seek assistance from China. Alternatively, a new crossing can be established by constructing a 3-kilometer road via Dholkha’s Lama Bagar.”
According to customs department data, over 4.5 billion rupees worth of goods entered Nepal through the Rasuwa border in the previous fiscal year.
Photo credit, RSS
The customs department further said that after the border was closed for six months due to flooding last year, it had collected more than 700 million rupees in revenue just before this year’s flood.
China also values bilateral trade and the government has indicated that reconstruction in flood-affected areas will require approximately 72.3 billion rupees, though securing the funds remains uncertain.
Hirdabahadur Pun from Jajarkot is no longer inclined to return to work in Rasuwa. He said, “If we had not gone to charge our mobiles, we wouldn’t have survived. Now I must find a livelihood in my village.”
“Though I feel like I escaped a great disaster, I can’t think clearly about what comes next. My mind isn’t functioning well.”
“I have returned to the village empty-handed and don’t know how to make ends meet,” he added.
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