Hetauda, Oct. 14 -- year-old Baburam Sapkota has spent the past 47 days waiting for news of his son, who went missing in the Bhotekoshi floods. He has neither found his body nor been able to raise the money to perform the traditional funeral rites.

A priest has advised the family to fashion a symbolic body from kush grass, which is used in Hindu rituals, and perform the last rites. But financial hardship has left Baburam unable to carry out even that ritual.

"My son, who earned for the family, went missing in the Bhotekoshi floods. The priest has told us to make a body out of kush grass and perform the last rites. Without money, I don't know what to do," said Baburam, a resident of ward 5 of Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City.

The family ha...