Reconstruction mess in Nepal
As we approach the first anniversary of the tragic earthquake that rattled Nepal last year in April and May, we have been reporting stories of misuse, abuse and unused recourses meant for earthquake survivors. In Sindhupalchowk alone, more than four billion rupees was supposedly spent by 47 NGOs, INGOs and UN agencies in the immediate aftermath of earthquake. However, we know very little about the amount of money spent in Sindhupalchowk. The plight of earthquake survivors in the district has only gotten worse. Similar is the story coming out from Gorkha and many other parts of the country destroyed by the earthquake. We demand that the government keep a close tab and demands transparency from the NGOs and INGOs operating in earthquake hit districts.
The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) was supposed to be at the forefront of reconstruction and rebuilding efforts. But the agency itself is mired in internal squabbles. It does not have the needed experts and suffers from trust deficit from the general public. Of late, NRA is in the process of outsourcing many of its works to NGOs and INGOs. We learn that NGOs will now be able to distribute the government housing grants to those who have already been identified as real victims and will also be allowed to set aside 20 percent of the funds as overhead expenses. This means a lot of organizations will want to take up the easy job and get their 20 percent share, a quick source of income. The focus will be on making money from the process rather than actually helping out the victims in need. We see troubling signs of Haiti being repeated here in Nepal. Even after billions of dollars being poured into the country after the 2009 earthquake, Haiti is still struggling to rebuild destroyed infrastructures and people’s lives. Outsourcing many of rebuilding works to non-governmental agencies is a troubling sign in Nepal. It shows the government’s inability to bring together resources and systems to lead the rebuilding process. We will now see vigorous campaigns by INGOs to raise money on behalf of the victims, most of which will ultimately be taken by the same agencies and their “experts”.
K P Oli’s administration has been rather lax on the need to expedite reconstruction works. The government initiated a punanirman mahaabhiyan (mega campaign for reconstruction) in January. President Bidhya Bhandari had also inaugurated the rebuilding of Rani Pokhari on January 16. However, we have not seen an inch of progress in this. Prime Minister Oli lambasted NRA for its tardiness, as if his responsibility ends just there. The victims of last year’s earthquake have shown extraordinary courage, patience and resilience. They endured harsh monsoon and winter and the economic blockade. Many living under tents died in the past winter. The victims will have to bear another season of brutal monsoon. This is a shame! We, as a nation, cannot let our people die due to sheer negligence of our state machinery. Why is it that the state only responds when prompted with force and violence? Don’t the victims deserve a chance to rebuilding their lives? Once again, we ask the Oli government to take this first anniversary as an opportunity to make a resolve to help the survivors.