JANAKPURDHAM, July 22: Life has changed for the better for 1,201 impoverished families in Siraha and Saptari districts of Madhesh Province, thanks to various housing schemes launched by the provincial government.
For years, these families lived in mud and thatched houses. During the monsoon, the roofs would leak, leaving them awake throughout stormy nights, while the constant threat of fire added to their daily hardships.
The shift from temporary thatched huts to permanent houses has made their lives safer and more dignified.
Under the Madhesh Province government's Janata Awas (People's Housing), Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Vipanna Awas (Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Housing for the Poor), and Vipanna Sangha Madan Bhandari Vipanna Awas (Madan Bhandari Housing for the Impoverished) programmes, 1,201 families in Siraha and Saptari have received permanent houses. The initiative is emerging as an important social campaign to improve the living standards of Dalit, impoverished and marginalized communities.
Most Dalit and impoverished families in these districts had lived in thatched huts for years. "As soon as the rainy season started, water would leak into the house. We had to endure extreme heat during the summer, and the risk of fire was a constant worry," said Rashmadevi Ram, a resident of Ward 9 in Siraha Municipality.
She said receiving a permanent house has freed her family from those worries. "I never dreamed I would sleep in a permanent house in my lifetime, but I am extremely happy to have received one," Ram added.
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The lives of beneficiary families have undergone a significant transformation after receiving permanent houses under the government's housing programme.
According to Jivachha Kumar Yadav, sub-engineer at the Infrastructure Development Office in Siraha, 612 families have benefited from the three housing schemes in the district between Fiscal Years (FY) 2078/79 and 2082/83.
Of them, 512 families received permanent houses under the Janata Awas programme, 69 under the Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Vipanna Awas programme, and 31 under the Vipanna Sangha Madan Bhandari Vipanna Awas programme.
In Aurahi Rural Municipality alone, 447 houses have been constructed and handed over under the Janata Awas programme. Locals say the initiative has significantly improved housing conditions for impoverished communities in the area.
The housing programme has also made steady progress in Saptari.
According to Ramakar Jha, sub-engineer at the Infrastructure Development Office in Saptari, 589 families have received new houses, including 515 under the Janata Awas programme, 56 under the Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Vipanna Awas programme, and 18 under the Vipanna Sangha Madan Bhandari Vipanna Awas programme.
Jha said many families have left unsafe huts behind and begun living with greater dignity after receiving permanent houses. However, the programme has yet to be fully completed.
In Siraha, around 40 houses under the Janata Awas programme and 27 under the Mahendra Narayan Nidhi programme are still under construction.
In Saptari, although contracts have been awarded for 791 houses under the Janata Awas programme, only 515 have been completed so far. Another 288 are under construction, while work on 88 houses has yet to begin, according to Jha.
He said that of the 92 houses contracted under the Mahendra Narayan Nidhi programme, 56 have been completed, 34 are under construction, and work on the remaining two has yet to begin.
Housing is more than just building a shelter; it is a basic necessity closely linked to a family's security, health, education and dignity.
Krishna Dev Jha, chief of the Infrastructure Development Office in Rajbiraj, Saptari, said safe housing has created a better environment for children to attend school. Women can now carry out household chores more safely, while permanent homes have provided greater comfort for elderly people and persons with disabilities.
According to him, the housing programme has also contributed to poverty reduction, social inclusion and improvements in human development indicators. However, he said construction has progressed more slowly than expected due to difficulties in land management, budget constraints and pending administrative procedures.
He added that implementing the housing schemes has become increasingly challenging as the prices of construction materials continue to rise each year while budget allocations have remained unchanged.
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