Guchiwang quake-victims to be resettled in Shaktikhor cantonments

CHITWAN, May 26: The catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake of April 25 turned Suwarna BK's home into a cemetery. Suwarna, 55, was a resident of Guchiwang VDC of Kauley-9, a settlement with 27 households. Majority of the residents belonged to underprivileged Dalit community.

Gupta Bahadur BK, a local, said they were forced to abandon their ancestral village after being displaced by the deadly earthquake. At present, preparations are underway to relocate them to Shaktikhor cantonments in Chitwan district that housed former Maoist rebels in the past.

After the earthquake, locals were worried that Panchachuli Hill may give way and bury the whole Kaule settlements, so the District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) took the decision to relocate them, informed Man Bahadur BK, chief district officer of Chitwan. As many as 40 households are destroyed in Gauchiwang VDC, while some 50 houses sustained partial damages due to the earthquake.Another settlement, Lothar-4, which was home to 14 families of underprivileged Chepang community, is also being considered for relocation. Around 298 houses in Lothar VDC were completely damaged while some 500 houses sustained partial damages.

Similarly, more than 25 families of Dusa village in Darechowk VDC have been rendered homeless. Around 500 houses in the VDC suffered complete destruction while around same numbers of homes sustained partial damages. The settlement was also home for Chepang community.

Around 66 households of those three VDCs are being moved to safer locations, according to Sahakul Bahadur Thapa, the chief of police of the area.

Preparations are underway to relocate locals from highly vulnerable Kaule VDC to the cantonments site. At present, Nepal Army commando force of Singhanath Barrack occupies the cantonments. CDO BK said final decision will be taken after holding discussions with inspection teams.

Similarly, 14 displaced families of Lothar will also be settled in Yourlitar VDC of the cantonment site, according Balram Luitel, resource person for DDRC. The site for resettling locals of Dusa village of Darechowk VDC is yet to be decided, he added.

The earthquake has claimed the lives of eight people in Chitwan. According to DDRC, more than 10,500 houses in the district sustained damages in the quake.

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